A Post State-Centric Analysis of China-Africa Relations

This book offers a new alternative to understanding the relationship between China and Africa. Here, the author not only explores the changing nature of Ethiopia's internal politics as a result of Chinese investment and commercial links, but also compellingly questions the existing state-centric macro or strategic investigation of China-Africa relations. By thoroughly reviewing and deploying the 'second image reversed' approach and the relational concept of state power analytical approaches, Ziso challenges the Western-centric Weberian conceptualization of state. This volume presents an eclectic approach to interpret the state transformation in Ethiopia in light of Chinese capital, arguing for a state in society framework which does not treat the state as a unitary black box. This analysis challenges the conventional binary staple which is often framed on whether China is the new imperialist power plundering Africa's resources or is Africa's historically all-weather friend. This volume offers an original contribution to knowledge on China's relations with Ethiopia in particular, and with Africa in general.

First book to include an in-depth analysis of Chinese capital and its hitherto neglected impact on state-society relations in a sub-Saharan African country Employs a unique hybrid approach of three research traditions: Gourevitch's 'second image reversed', Migdal's 'state-in-society' framework and Hobbes' relational understanding of power Departs from the mainstream literature in that it questions the state-centric macro or geo-strategic staple of China-Africa relations

Autorentext
Edson Ziso is a Visiting Research Fellow in the Department of Politics and International Studies at the University of Adelaide, South Australia.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: Introduction.- Chapter 2: Ethiopia-China Relations: An 'Inside-Out' Perspective.- Chapter 3: Crisis and Contradiction in Ethiopia Since 1974: Setting the Stage for Chinese Investment.- Chapter 4: From Dergue Socialism to an 'Ethiopian Neoliberalism':Transition and Reform Under the EPRDF Since 1991.- Chapter 5: The Drivers of Chinese Investment in Ethiopia Since 1995: Institution, Economics and Politics.- Chapter 6: Chinese Investment and New Modalities of State Intervention in Ethiopia.- Chapter 7: The Impact of Chinese Investment in Ethiopia: Party Capitalism and the Informalisation of Institutions.- Chapter 8: Conclusions: Summary of Main Findings and some Suggestions for Future Research.