Also published on my blog: www.stefanhaagedoorn.blogspot.com
------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Short review: this book is magnificent.

Long review: I actually started off reading quite surprised, since somehow I was expecting to read a more economic-focused account of Chinese influence in Africa. Instead of that, this book was part journalistic research, part travel-story. The author travels around the continent, talking with Chinese immigrants in all kinds of positions (land-owners, diplomats, business leaders), high and low, rich and poor and basically asks the question why all these Chinese came to Africa, a continent usually seen in the West as a black hole where money goes to disappear. He also interviews many local Africans in the process. The picture that is then painted through all these conversations is one of opposites. The Chinese bring a message that they are Africa's ''brothers in development'', something generally not believed by the Africans themselves. They built roads, railways, hospitals and stadiums which on the surface is something the Africans appreciate. They then go on to complain that since the Chinese always bring in their own workers and no Africans are thought how to maintain these constructions and they promptly deteriorate within a few years, rendering them unusable. Meanwhile, the author himself ponders whether this is truly innocent as the Chinese say (despite them seem to be lying (or being willfully ignorant) about anything from environmental damage to the actual amount of Chinese who emigrated to the continent), or whether this is a form of neocolonialism. In some ways, it is not far off from the Western push for markets in the late 19th century, combined with waves of Europeans emigrating to various parts of Africa. On the other hand, the many stories that the Chinese tell makes it seem that they all moved their off their own accord. In any case, the most heard complaint of Africans is not necessarily the Chinese, but rather their own governments and how they let them take advantage of their countries' riches. In the end, this is the ultimate African paradox. It is by far the richest region in the world as far as natural resources go, but due to a multitude of reasons, most of them have so far failed to use it to the benefit of the general population.
Concluding, the book is a great read for anyone interested in current development patterns in Africa or China's developing role on the world stage.


I will leave you with some of my favorite quotes:

''In their new lands of adoption, Chinese people frequently spoke to me with unaccustomed openness about their hopes for the country and about its problems and failings. I was struck by how Africa, to so many of them, by contrast, seemed remarkably free, and brimming with opportunity unlike home, which they often described as cramped, grudging and hyper competitive. For many of them, Africa also seemed relatively lacking in corruption.'' (Page 13)

(A Chinese man in Mozambique responding to the question of why the country is so poor) : ''It's cultural. Chinese people can really chi ku [''eat bitter''], and that's not just spoken from the end of my lips. It's a real difference. In Chinese we say that if you are hungry or cold you have to do something about it. Here they don't have that problem. They get food easily and a few clothes suffice them. Chinese people are in a hurry to work, to earn money, to get rich. If they are farmers, they make every day count. Here, it's not the same. Africans like to dance. That's their specialty. They may be poor, but they are very happy.''

(A Chinese man in Mali): ''Chinese people are just about everywhere,'' he said, again erupting with manic laughter. ''You should never go anywhere where there are no Chinese.'' ''Is that because such places are too dangerous?'' I asked. ''Wrong. It's because those are places where it is impossible to make money.''