“Chinese investment gives rise to a tantalizing possibility: that Africa can industrialize in the coming generation. “
China is now the biggest foreign player in Africa. It’s Africa’s largest trade partner, the largest infrastructure financier, and the fastest-growing source of foreign direct investment.
“The fact that China sees Africa not for its poverty but for its potential wealth is a striking departure from the attitude of the West, particularly that of the United States. Despite fifty years of Western aid programs, Africa still has more people living in extreme poverty than any other region in the world. Those who are serious about raising living standards across the continent know that another strategy is needed.”
The Next Factory of the World by Irene Sun makes an interesting case for Chinese investment in Africa and the role of industrialisation in lifting people out of poverty. My book review will analyse this book through the lenses of the development discourse and the unique role China has in Africa in the current context.