Coevolutionary Pragmatism: Approaches and Impacts of China-Africa Economic Cooperation

Description

China-Africa economic tie has experienced lasting rapid growth since the 2000s, attracting lots of discussion on its nature and effects. A key question is whether Chinese engagements provide an alternative paradigm to existing mainstream models, like Washington Consensus, for developing countries. However, theories on state-market dichotomy can hardly explain the strong momentum of bilateral cooperation. By examining a broad range of practices with solid field research, including trade, infrastructure, agriculture, manufacturing, industrial zones, labor and socio-environmental preservation, this book proposes a new angle of non-linear circular causality to understand Chinese approaches to work with Africa. Guided by the pursuit for sustainable growth rather than by specific models, Chinese actors are able to experiment diverse methods to foster structural transformation in Africa. In particular, the author carefully records mutual influences between Chinese and African stakeholders at all levels, from grassroots to policy making, to illustrate the effects of coevolving industrialization. Cover Half-title page Title page Copyright page Dedication Contents List of Figures List of Tables Preface Foreword List of Abbreviations 1 A “Model” with No Model 1.1 The Driving Forces Behind China-Africa Engagement 1.2 Lack of the Beijing Consensus 1.3 Evolution of China-Africa Pragmatism 1.4 Pragmatism in Structural Transformation 1.5 Solve the Chicken-and-Egg Dilemma 2 Trade 2.1 The Chinese Story of African Markets 2.2 “Bad Quality”: A Double-Sided Coin 2.3 Dilemma of “Market Activeness” and “Regulation” 2.4 The Challenge of Trade Structure 2.5 African Exports to China 3 Infrastructure 3.1 Reflections on the Tan-Zam Railway 3.2 The Predicament of African Infrastructure 3.3 Dilemma of Public and Commercial Interests 3.4 From the “Angola Model” to the Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway 4 Agriculture 4.1 Hope and Hardship in the Cotton Fields 4.2 Dilemma of Subsistence Farming and Agricultural Modernization 4.3 From Aid to Business 4.4 Earthbound Entrepreneurs 5 Manufacturing 5.1 A Beacon in the Wilderness 5.2 The Rocky Path of Manufacturing 5.3 Dilemma of the Value Chain 5.4 Building Local Linkages 5.5 Coevolution Between Industry and Market 6 Special Economic Zones 6.1 From a Desert to a City 6.2 Attempts to “Go Global” 6.3 Dilemma Between Special Economic Zones and National Structural Transformation 6.4 Challenges for the China-Africa Cooperation Zones 6.5 Approaches Toward Improved Synergism 7 Employment and Training 7.1 Proletariat Friendship or Capitalist Exploitation? 7.2 Truth of Employment Practices 7.3 Dilemma Between Work Ethics and Industrial Practices 7.4 Pragmatic Approaches Toward Convergence 8 Social and Environmental Responsibility 8.1 Water, Wind, and Wild Animals 8.2 Chinese Enterprises’ Environmental Footprint in Africa 8.3 Regulatory Efforts from the Chinese Side 8.4 Dilemma Between Environmental Responsibility and Development Responsibility Conclusion Implications of Coevolutionary Pragmatism in the China-Africa Relationship Comparison with the Western Approaches Linkage to China’s Own Development Destination of Development Index