China and Africa in Global Context

Book excerpt: This book studies the relationship between China and Africa by reviewing this history and current state of interactions, offering a valuable addition to the often heated and contentious debate surrounding China's engagement in Africa from a Chinese angle. Comprising four parts, the book covers a kaleidoscopic range of topics on China-Africa relations based on materials from different languages. Part I looks into early historical contact between China and Africa and the historiography of African Studies in China in recent decades. Part II probes the origins, dynamics, challenges and cultural heritage of China's policies towards Africa. Part III explores the issue of development cooperation from both a theoretical and a practical point of view, with a focus on the case of Chinese medical teams in Africa and China's technology transfer to the continent. Part IV illustrates bilateral migration, discussing the history and life of Chinese immigrants in Africa and the African diaspora in China. The insights in this book, as well as real life case studies, will make this work an indispensable reference for academics, students, policy-makers and general readers who are interested in international issues and area studies, especially China-Africa relations, China's rise and African development.