China-Africa Relations Bibliography

 This is a 357 page bibliography on all aspects of China-Africa relations updated as of mid-July 2023. Most of it was identified while doing research for two books: China and Africa: A Century of Engagement published by the University of Pennsylvania Press in 2012 and China's Relations with Africa: A New Era of Strategic Engagement published by Columbia University Press in 2023.  It may be a useful tool for those researchers working on China-Africa issues.   

New Book Coming Out on China-Africa Relations

 With apologies for self-promotion, a new book titled "China's Relations with Africa: A New Era of Strategic Engagement" will be published in August by Columbia University Press.  Josh Eisenman and I have spent the last five years researching, writing, and rewriting this book.  We are especially grateful to Columbia University Press for making an affordable paper back version available together with the hard back edition.  

China's Belt and Road Initiative: Not What It Once Was

 Foreign Affairs published on 7 February 2023 an article titled "China Hasn't Given Up on the Belt and Road" by Matt Schrader and J. Michael Cole, both with the International Republican Institute.  

China's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) infrastructure program became an important part of its foreign policy.  Major financing cutbacks are, however, changing the focus of the initiative.  While China is not giving up on it, the BRI has become "a less splashy, less expensive model of engagement predicated on cultivating ties more organically in fields such as trade, telecommunications, green energy, and academia."  The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in the lowest funding to African governments since 2004, although the shift in focus of BRI had started even earlier.  

Studying in China: A View from Tanzania

The Conversation published on 23 January 2020 an article titled "I Asked Tanzanians about Studying in China: Here's What They Said" by Hezron Makundi, University of Dar es Salaam.

In 2018, China hosted more than 60,000 African students for short and long-term training, fewer than France but more than the United States or the United Kingdom. More than 3,500 were from Tanzania. Surveys of and discussions with some of these students resulted in the conclusion that they were generally positive about the quality of the programs in China. They especially appreciated access to electronic and physical learning resources. The language barrier was a major challenge and there were socio-cultural differences that included food and racism.

African Studies in China

The Brazilian Journal of African Studies published in its July/December 2016 edition an article titled "African Studies in China in the 21st Century: A Historiographical Survey" by Li Anshan, Peking University. It is available for downloading.

The article describes what Chinese Africanists have studied and written about from 2000 to 2015. It discusses their focus and new interests, achievements, young scholars, references and afterthoughts.