The compulsory study of mandarin by African students at Chinese universities: a soft power tool?

The 2019/21 Afrobarometer survey data show that only two percent of Afri-
cans view Mandarin as a desirable international language for young people to
learn. This indicates that Beijing’s attempts to enhance its cultural soft power
in Africa through language promotion have had limited success. This project
aims to further explore this finding by examining the perspectives of the com-
pulsory study of Mandarin among African student migrants who have studied
or are currently studying in China. We employed a descriptive survey design
with quantitative data collected through questionnaires from a sample of 315
former and present African students in China. Descriptive statistics were used
to analyze the data collected, including frequencies, percentages, standard
deviations, and means. Contrary to the Afrobarometer survey results, African
students in China greatly value learning Mandarin. The majority believe that
proficiency in Mandarin makes them valuable members of society. They also
desire Mandarin to be taught more widely in their home countries and view
China as an attractive destination due to their Mandarin language skills. These
results suggest that while the general African public may not be attracted to
Mandarin, African migrant students with direct experience in China have a
more positive perception of the language and its benefits. This highlights the
need for future studies on Chinese soft power in Africa, as the perspectives of
specific subgroups may differ from broader public opinion.
Mandarin, African students, China, Soft power