Full Description
China's recent stepping up of relations with Africa is one of the most significant developments on the African continent for decades. For some it promises an end to Africa's dependent aid relationships, as the Chinese bring expertise, technology and a stronger business focus. But for others it is no more than a new form of imperialism.
This book is the first to systematically study the motivations, relationships and impact of this migration. It focuses not just on the Chinese migrants but also on the perceptions of, and linkages to, their African 'hosts'. By studying this everyday interaction we get a much richer picture of whether this is South-South cooperation, as political leaders would have us believe, or a more complex relationship that can both compromise and encourage African development.
Contents
1. The Chinese in Africa: migration and development beyond the west
2. China's opening up: internationalization, liberalization and emigration
3. Africa as opportunity: Chinese interests, motives and aspirations
4. Chinese socio-economic life in Africa: networks and realities
5. Constructing the other: narratives of tension and conflict in Sino-African encounters
6. Building bridges: towards conviviality, cooperation and mutual benefit in Sino-African encounters
7. Conclusion: everyday Sino-African encounters and the potential for African development
