Deborah Brautigam, Will Africa Feed China?

Excerpt

Abbé Fulbert Youlou, the first president of Congo-Brazzaville, reportedly warned in 1966 that China not only sought to colonize Africa but would in due course turn the entire continent into a gigantic rice field. With the colonial past, it is natural that some Africans have been suspicious of Chinese intentions on the continent. Recent allegations of unprecedented Chinese state-sponsored acquisition of African farmland seem to indicate that Youlou’s prediction is materializing, but are such accusations warranted? Literature on China-Africa relations is increasingly being published in recent years. However, instead of offering a critical and unbiased analysis of the long-standing China-Africa relationship, some authors and journalists tend to exaggerate the scale and impact of China’s involvement in Africa or the problems that are emerging, and reinforce the misperceptions and misunderstandings of the relationship. …