China-Africa Relations in an Era of Great Transformations

Book excerpt: This collection juxtaposes a variety of approaches about China and Africa, and their interrelations seeking to go beyond early, simplistic formulations. Perspectives informed by Polanyi advance nuanced analysis of varieties of capitalisms and double-movements. It seeks to put contemporary China-Africa relations in critical, comparative context and in doing so, it will go beyond descriptions of inter-regional trade and investment, large- and small-scale sectors, to ask whether structural change is underway. Already it is apparent that the growing presence of China in Africa presents the latter with some novel options but whether these will generate a new embeddedness remains problematic. Highlighting the ’varieties of capitalisms’ in the new century, given the undeniable difficulties of extreme neo-liberalism in the US and UK by contrast, to the apparent ebullience of the emerging economies in the global South, this book examines such implications for international relations, international political economy, development studies and policies.