Saturday, July 26, 2014

Howard W. French, China's Second Continent **** 1/2

The titular second continent is Africa. More than a million Chinese have emigrated to Africa, the Chinese government has provided a vast amount of infrastructure for African countries, and Chinese businesses are prospering. The author traveled in southern and western Africa, interviewing Chinese immigrants and local Africans about their experiences.

French constructs his book as a mosaic. Rather than presenting a carefully structured argument, he describes his meetings with individuals almost in the manner of a travelogue and allows his conclusions to emerge from there. I found intriguing insights throughout, not just about the Chinese program in Africa but also globalization and national development more generally. African governments sure have their work cut out for them!

China needs natural resources to fuel its growth; it also needs new markets for its products and new horizons for its people. Africa is famous for its natural resources; it also has the fastest growing population and the highest amount of fallow arable land. China would say that they have a mutually beneficial relationship with African countries: They provide valuable infrastructure in exchange for resources, and gain a new market as a side benefit. But a growing number of Africans are unhappy: The Chinese hire other Chinese rather than local Africans, and the most of the profits are lost to corruption in the often short-lived governments.

Although the author spent time in China and speaks Chinese, China's Second Continent ultimately has an anti-Chinese tone. China is taking advantage of the inexperience and instability of many African governments to advance its own interests. On the other hand, plenty of Africans blame their governments' shortsightedness and corruption.

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