China’s New Role in Africa and the South

China’s global expansion is much talked about, but usually from the viewpoint of the West. This unique collection of essays, written by scholars and activists from China and the global South, provides diverse views on the challenges faced by Africa, Latin America and Asia as a result of China’s rise as a significant global economic power. Chinese aid, trade and investments – driven by the needs of its own economy – present both threats and opportunities for the South, requiring a nuanced analysis that goes beyond simplistic caricatures of ‘good’ and ‘evil’.

China’s engagement cannot be understood independently of the imperial expansion of the US in the global economy. ‘Chinese production and American consumption,’ writes Walden Bello, ‘are like the proverbial prisoners who seek to break free from one another but cannot because they are chained together. This relationship is progressively taking the form of a vicious cycle.’

Arising from a conference held in Shanghai in May 2007, when the African Development Bank was also meeting in that city, this book provides a fresh perspective that focuses on the economic, social and environmental impact of China’s expansion. It represents the first attempt to establish a dialogue between civil society in China and the global south.

The contributors include Dorothy-Grace Guerrero, Walden Bello, Luk Tak Chuen, Shalmali Guttal, Yu Xiaogang, Ding Pin, Xu Weizhong, Dot Keet, Barry Sautman, Yan Hairong, Lucy Corkin, Ali Askouri, Yuza Maw Htoon, Khin Zaw Win, Alexandre de Freitas Barbosa, Fu Tao and Peter Bosshard.

Edited by Dorothy-Grace Guerrero and Firoze Manji

ISBN: 978-1-906387-26-6 258pp 2008 Fahamu and Focus on the Global South £16.95 / US$33.95

From reviews of Fahamu’s previous book on China, African Perspectives on China in Africa (2007):

‘…a timely book on a subject of critical importance. We should use it to strengthen Africa’s hand in negotiating with China…’
Irungu Houghton, Pan African Policy Advisor, Oxfam GB

‘…the first attempt in recent years to examine African views of China.’
London Review of Books

‘anyone interested in economic developments in Africa – and China – will find much useful material here.’
Charlie Hore, Socialist Review