Shaping the firm as a development actor: the case of Chinese businesses in Kenya

Chinese deepening economic engagement in Africa has stimulated intensive discussions. The notion of the Chinese state utilizing firms to implement development cooperation is widely held, which is aligned with certain academic discussions of Chinese capitalism. The latter argues that Chinese businesses operate under state control to fulfil strategic objectives. However, research has revealed the commercial orientations of Chinese firms, which can conflict with state objectives to support and use Chinese businesses. This divergence serves as inspiration for this research, prompting an exploration of the relational dynamics between the Chinese state and firms as well as between Chinese actors and various stakeholders in the specific context of an African country, Kenya, to construct development cooperation. This thesis delves into three interrelated themes, namely the implementation of the state-initiated BRI, the adaptations of the Chinese state and firms to Kenyan infrastructure politics, and the contested state-firm interactions to exercise public diplomacy.