The Chinese, the Taiwanese, "Fong Kong," and Labor in South Africa

Dr. Park presents a working paper regarding the heavy penetration of Chinese textiles, disparagingly referred to as “fong kong” or fake, cheap, substandard goods, into the South Africa market. Often described in terms such as a “deluge,” “flood,” “textile tsunami,” etc. Park attempts to explore a more complicated story, beyond Chinese textile producers and South African consumers. Taiwanese factory owners, the Africa Growth and Opportunity Act, and more actors are all involved in this multifaceted-process. The event will be followed by a question-and-answer session.

Yoon Jung Park is the Convener/Coordinator of the Chinese in Africa/Africans in China Research Network as well as Senior Research Associate of Sociology in Rhodes University. A sociologist by training, Park is an expert on Chinese diaspora communities in Africa, having spent two decades on the continent. Park’s publications have appeared in African Studies, China’s African Impact, African and Asian Studies, among others.