China in Africa: Partner, Competitor or Hegemon? (African Arguments)

✍ Scribed by Chris Alden

• Publisher: Zed Books
• Year: 2007
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 171
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Nowhere in the world is China's rapid rise to power more evident than in Africa. From multi-billion dollar investments in oil and minerals to the influx of thousands of merchants, laborers and cheap consumer goods, China's economic and political reach is redefining Africa's traditional ties with the international community. This book investigates the emerging relationship between China and Africa to determine whether this engagement will be that of a development partner, economic competitor or new hegemony. Alden argues that in order to understand Chinese involvement on the continent, we need to recognize the range of economic, diplomatic and security rationales behind Beijing's Africa policy as well as the response of African elites to China's entreaties. Only then can the new challenges and opportunities for Africa and the West be accurately assessed.

✦ Table of Contents

Contents
......Page 8
Acknowledgements......Page 9
Abbreviations......Page 11
Introduction......Page 14
Partner, competitor or colonizer?......Page 18
Book outline......Page 20
1 | China’s new foreign policy towards Africa......Page 21
The development of China’s foreign policy towards Africa......Page 22
History and solidarity in the forging of China’s Africa policy......Page 28
Diplomacy and development assistance......Page 33
Structures and institutions of Chinese foreign policy towards Africa......Page 40
The politics of diplomacy and recognition......Page 45
Conclusion: China rising, Africa swooning......Page 47
2 | The Chinese in Africa: capitalists, comrades and carpet-baggers......Page 50
The emerging Chinese MNC......Page 51
Chinese small and medium businesses......Page 60
Chinese settlers in Africa......Page 63
Conclusion: exporting Chinese capitalism......Page 69
3 | Africa turns east......Page 72
Pariah regimes......Page 73
Illiberal regimes and weak democracies......Page 79
Democracies with diversified economies......Page 83
Zambia: China’s ‘perfect storm’......Page 85
African diplomacy responds to China......Page 89
The textiles dispute......Page 92
African civil society discovers China......Page 95
Conclusion......Page 102
The West’s new partnership with Africa......Page 106
The Chinese challenge to the West in Africa......Page 115
The West and China: competition, confrontation or cooperation?......Page 118
The changing international context of China’s Africa policy......Page 127
Conclusion......Page 131
5 | Consolidating China–Africa relations......Page 133
Understanding China’s role in Africa......Page 138
The future......Page 141
Conclusion......Page 148
Notes......Page 150
Index......Page 165