ABSTRACT
The chapter provides a case study of Ethiopia’s (1991 to the present) recent political development to examine the role played by China as a counterhegemonic ‘black knight’ in influencing the country’s pattern of authoritarian backsliding observed since the pivotal national elections of 2005. It suggests that China’s engagement with Ethiopia, coupled with the conflicting foreign policy objectives of Western powers, strengthened the bargaining position of the Ethiopian People’s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) in its interactions with stronger democratizing powers. Perceiving the opportunities associated with China’s emergent engagement, EPRDF elites used this improved position to curtail civil liberties and tilt the electoral playing field in favor of the incumbent party when confronted with an increasingly powerful political opposition. Simultaneously, as Beijing has established assets and economic interests in the Horn of Africa, it has provided increasing levels of direct economic and military support and assistance in Ethiopia and its immediate periphery designed to bolster national and regional stability. Ethiopian leaders have capitalized on the country’s special position as a bulwark in a strategically important but unstable region, which has encouraged both China and Western partners to prioritize the state’s stability over other competing goals.
