Chinese and African Perspectives on China in Africa, Richard B. Dadzie, African Affairs, Volume 111, issue 443, pages 334-335, April 2012
Abstract
China’s presence in Africa and elsewhere in the world has been one of the most phenomenal developments in the last few decades. This edited book adds to the growing literature on the pace and nature of China’s involvement in Africa. The book is made up of critical perspectives on the Sino-African relationship from policy makers, civil society leaders, and Chinese and African scholars. The book captures ongoing debates on the subject as well as macroeconomic dimensions of the Sino-African interaction. In-depth country case studies shed light on the specifics of this relatively new relationship. The roles and responsibilities of important stakeholders such as African governments, the African Union (AU), and China are discussed in a hopeful tone, informed by the reality that China and Africa need each other.
This book raises several important questions. First is the all-important question of whether China is Africa’s new economic partner or its new neo-colonialist (p. 32). Sanou Mbaye asserts in the third chapter that the answer lies in the expectations that African countries seek from their interaction with China, because …