On episode 51, Juliet and Erik welcome back Dr. Hong Zhang to discuss the history, interests, corporate structures and agency of International Chinese infrastructure contractors.

Discussion is based on Hong Zhang's May 2021 working paper for SAIS-China Africa Research Initiative entitled: Chinese International Contractors in Africa: Structure and Agency.   

Hong Zhang is a Postdoctoral Fellow at Johns Hopkins University's SIAS-CARI and a 2021-22 China and the World Program Fellow at Columbia University. She received her PhD in Public Policy from the Schar School of Policy and Government at George Mason University in 2021.

She is one of the best thinkers and writers on all things Belt and Road and we were lucky to have her back on the show!

Here are this episode's recommendations!

Erik:
1. Benedetta, dir. Paul Verhoeven
2. Encanto, dir. Jared Bush, Byron Howard, and Charise Castro Smith (+ the Pixar short that plays at the beginning!)

Hong Zhang:
1. "Archaeologies of the Belt and Road Initiative," Made in China Journal
2. James Reilly, Orchestration: China's Economic Statecraft Across Asia and Europe, Oxford University Press
3. Lina Benabdallah, Shaping the Future of Power: Knowledge Production and Network-Building in China-Africa  Relations, University of Michigan Press

Juliet:
1. 狗熊有话说 Bear Talk podcast
2. Sustainable Asia  podcast

Thanks for listening!

Follow us on BlueSky @beltandroadpod.blsk.social