Project Assemblages: Identity Realignment in China-Africa encounters in the Construction Industry in Congo-Brazzaville

Many studies on China-Africa encounters have demonstrated the significance of ethnic and racial identities in these encounters. I reverse this perspective and ask: in what circumstances are China-Africa encounters shaped by identities other than racial and ethnic ones? Drawing on my ethnographic research in the construction industry in Congo-Brazzaville, I argue that the actions of many Chinese are often more influenced by their economic roles, such as workers, managers, and entrepreneurs than by their ethnic identity. Their identities are thus realigned in the economic encounters which I term "project assemblages." This concept highlights the fluidity of multiple identities in economic encounters and shows that China-Africa encounters are a fertile ground for producing theories, beyond the China-Africa framework, on lived experiences of economic relationships. De nombreuses & eacute;tudes sur les rencontres sino-africaines ont d & eacute;montr & eacute; l'importance des identit & eacute;s ethniques et raciales dans ces rencontres. Je propose de questionner cette perspective et pose la question suivante : dans quelles circonstances les rencontres sino-africaines sont-elles fa & ccedil;onn & eacute;es par des identit & eacute;s autres que raciales et ethniques ? En m'appuyant sur mes recherches ethnographiques dans l'industrie de la construction au Congo-Brazzaville, je soutiens que les actions de nombreux Chinois sont souvent plus influenc & eacute;es par leurs r & ocirc;les & eacute;conomiques, en tant qu'ouvriers, gestionnaires et entrepreneurs, que par leur identit & eacute; ethnique. Leurs identit & eacute;s sont donc r & eacute;align & eacute;es dans les rencontres & eacute;conomiques que j'appelle << assemblages de projets >>. Ce concept met en & eacute;vidence la fluidit & eacute; des identit & eacute;s multiples dans les rencontres & eacute;conomiques et montre que les rencontres sino-africaines sont un terrain fertile pour produire des th & eacute;ories, au-del & agrave; du cadre sino-africain, sur les exp & eacute;riences v & eacute;cues des relations & eacute;conomiques. Muitos estudos t & ecirc;m demonstrado a import & acirc;ncia que as identidades & eacute;tnicas e raciais desempenham nos encontros entre a China e & Aacute;frica. No presente artigo, inverte-se essa perspetiva para questionar: em que circunst & acirc;ncias os encontros entre a China e & Aacute;frica s & atilde;o moldados por outras identidades que n & atilde;o as raciais e & eacute;tnicas? Com base na investiga & ccedil;& atilde;o etnogr & aacute;fica que realizou no setor da constru & ccedil;& atilde;o no Congo-Brazzaville, o autor defende que as a & ccedil;& otilde;es de muitos chineses s & atilde;o com frequ & ecirc;ncia mais influenciadas pelos pap & eacute;is econ & oacute;micos que desempenham, enquanto trabalhadores, gestores, administradores e empreendedores, do que pela sua identidade & eacute;tnica. As suas identidades s & atilde;o assim realinhadas nos encontros econ & oacute;micos a que o autor chama "project assemblages" ("montagem de projetos"). Este conceito coloca em destaque a fluidez das m & uacute;ltiplas identidades presentes nos encontros econ & oacute;micos e revela que os encontros entre a China e & Aacute;frica s & atilde;o um terreno f & eacute;rtil para gerar teorias, para al & eacute;m do quadro China-& Aacute;fica, sobre as experi & ecirc;ncias das rela & ccedil;& otilde;es econ & oacute;micas vividas.