When I first saw the name I wondered why on earth Buick would name its new line "Enclave". (Webster's defines an 'enclave' as a place or territory surrounded by a foreign country.) Turns out the 'Enclave' is the perfect name to describe the new kinship between G.M. and China. Not only is Buick the biggest star in Shanghai, Chinese companies have been busy carving out enclaves of their own in post-colonial Africa.
The New Enclave
As labor scholar Ching Kwan Lee explains: the Chinese translation of enclave, feidi, means 'flying lands' and like GM's niche in China aptly describes China's presence in Africa.
There are many ironies in this post Cold War development. While global capitalism has encouraged greater inter-national collaboration most managers are imported and personal contact is minimal. Workers are often made to feel like aliens in their own countries. Despite Chinese investment in Africa their presence is restricted to isolated enclaves. The Chinese live together, they construct their own compounds.
At home China's nouveau riche crave the big shiny objects we Americans use to project our wealth but their success in Africa is due to the admiration Africans have for Chinese frugality and modest life style. "In contrast with Western expatriates, says Prof. Deborah Brautigam of American University’s School of International Service, the Chinese always live at or below “local standards” - even when it’s quite within their means to live lavishly."
With the ice caps melting and cheap oil drying up there is a lesson to be learned dear grasshopper.
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