Chinese people in Senegal
| Total population | |
|---|---|
| (200-2,000? (c. 2008)) | |
| Regions with significant populations | |
| Dakar | |
| Languages | |
| Chinese · Wolof · French | |
| Related ethnic groups | |
| Overseas Chinese |
There is a small but growing population of Chinese people in Senegal, largely consisting of expatriates from the People's Republic of China who began arriving in the country in the 1980s.
Migrants from the People's Republic of China (PRC) began flowing into Senegal in the 1980s. They rented properties at above-market rates in the Centenaire area, and remained in the country even after Senegalese president Abdou Diouf's administration granted official recognition to the Republic of China (ROC) on Taiwan in 1996. The ROC's diplomatic success was not matched by the development of economic relations; instead, the traders from the PRC, actually on the ground in Senegal, were able to cultivate political and popular support. Their efforts paid off in October 2005, when Senegal broke off relations with the ROC and restored its relations with the PRC, an event which was greeted with celebrations by local Chinese migrants. The ROC responded by accusing the PRC of "buying" Senegal's allegiance by pledging US$600 million in foreign aid.
In 2004, the PRC's official People's Daily published an estimate of 300 Chinese in Senegal. In 2008, the South China Morning Post published official numbers from an unspecified source stating that 150 Chinese families totalling 200 to 300 people lived in Dakar alone, but Chinese in Senegal who were interviewed estimated the true number might be as high as 1,000. Another report by Radio Australia's Chinese edition in January 2009 put the total number at 2,000.
As of 2009[update], there were roughly 200 Chinese-owned shops in Dakar, largely concentrated around Dakar's Boulevard du Centenaire. The area is rapidly becoming known as the local "Chinatown", though it still lacks some of the visual features associated with Chinatowns in other countries, such as Chinese lanterns. Chinese merchants typically convert their buildings into shophouses, with living space in the back and retail space in the front. According to a Voice of America report, Chinese wholesalers can gross several thousand dollars per day. Their influence has largely shifted the centre of commerce in Dakar away from the historic Sandaga market to the Centenaire area.
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