Open AccessTrusts and Doubts in Africa Over Belt and Road Initiative: A Thematic Content Analysis of Opinions in Ethiopian Twittersphere
Author(s) -
Abdulaziz Dino GIDRETA,
Mutlu Binark,
Gökçe Özsu,
Ali Zain
Publication year - 2022
Publication title -
etkileşim
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
ISSN - 2636-7955
DOI - 10.32739/etkilesim.2022.5.9.153
Subject(s) - beijing , china , mainstream , public opinion , political science , thematic analysis , autonomy , politics , content analysis , popular opinion , thematic map , economic growth , public administration , sociology , media studies , law , geography , social science , qualitative research , economics , cartography
China`s Belt and Road Initiative is a massive infrastructural project that Ethiopia is encompassed. Yet, in Ethiopia, public opinion over the subject has never been homogenous as there are both apparent faiths that the initiative would positively contribute to Ethiopia’s economy, and suspicions that it is merely China`s veiled ambition to accelerate its expansion in global economy and politics, intensifying the concerns that China will not be any different from former colonial powers for African nations. Besides mainstream media coverage, much of the debate over this initiative has increasingly happened on social networking sites as attributable to their relative accessibility and autonomy. By employing a thematic content analysis of Twitter contents generated by opinion technicians during the 2019 Belt and Road Initiative Forum in Beijing, this article examines how opinion technicians over the Ethiopian Twittersphere discuss the initiative.