1st Edition

China in Africa Strategic Motives and Economic Interests

Edited By Suisheng Zhao Copyright 2015
    232 Pages
    by Routledge

    232 Pages
    by Routledge

    China’s expansion and growing influence in Africa is arguably the most remarkable global political and economic development in the 21st century. China’s foray into Africa started in the late 1990s, propelled by its desire to obtain new sources of raw materials and energy for its economic growth, as well as new markets for its manufactured goods. While China’s "no political strings attached" policy proves attractive to many of African leaders, China has been criticized as neo-colonialist, interested solely in stripping Africa of its mineral wealth without proper environmental or social precautions.

    This book addresses the controversy by exploring the motivations and practices of China’s African engagement, providing a comprehensive account of the intensified interactions between China and African states. The first part examines the debate surrounding whether China has pursued a neo-colonialist path in Africa, by looking at the perception of China by the locals and the challenges that the intensified relationship has posed for African states. The second part analyses China’s strategic motivations to see if Beijing has acquired sustaining power and influence in Africa in competition with the West. The third part focuses on economic and business practices of Chinese companies in Africa, as well as China-Africa trade patterns.

    The articles in this book were originally published in special issues of the Journal of Contemporary China.

    Part I: The Debate on China in Africa

    1. A Neo-Colonialist Predator or Development Partner? China’s engagement and rebalance in Africa Suisheng Zhao

    2. Why Do We Need ‘Myth-Busting’ in the Study of Sino-African Relations? Miwa Hirono and Shogo Suzuki

    3. China in Africa: presence, perceptions, and prospects Fei-Ling Wang and Esi A. Elliot

    Part II: Strategic Interactions and Motivations

    4. China-Africa Cooperation: promises, practice and prospects Sven Grimm

    5. China goes to Africa: a strategic move? Jianwei Wang and Jing Zou

    6. China’s Libya Evacuation Operation: a new diplomatic imperative – overseas citizen protection Shaio H. Zerba

    7. China’s Exceptionalism and the Challenges of Delivering Difference in Africa Chris Alden and Daniel Large

    Part III: Business Practices and Economic Relations

    8. Bashing ‘the Chinese’: contextualising Zambia’s Collum Coal Mine shooting Barry Sautman and Yan Hairong

    9. Workforce Localization among Chinese State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) in Ghana Antoine Kernen and Katy N. Lam

    10. Chinese State-owned Enterprises in Africa: ambassadors or freebooters Xu Yi-Chong

    11. China-Africa Trade Patterns: causes and consequences Joshua Eisenman

    Biography

    Suisheng Zhao is Professor and Director of the Centre for China-US Cooperation at the Josef Korbel School of International Studies, University of Denver, Colorado, USA, and founding editor of the Journal of Contemporary China.