Join getAbstract to access the summary!

Is China the World’s New Colonial Power?

Join getAbstract to access the summary!

Is China the World’s New Colonial Power?

The New York Times,

5 min read
5 take-aways
Audio & text

What's inside?

Rapid economic expansion in Africa is fueling China’s economy – but does it benefit Africans?

auto-generated audio
  • 0.5×
  • 0.75×
  • 1×
  • 1.25×
  • 1.5×
  • 1.75×
1×
auto-generated audio

Editorial Rating

8

Qualities

  • Eye Opening
  • Overview
  • Background

Recommendation

China has invested billions in infrastructure projects around the world, using its economic clout to win potential allies and secure natural resources. It has thereby mostly eschewed values like democracy and human rights, which the United States and international development assistance programs have long sought to promote. Will Chinese no-strings-attached investments ultimately benefit the populations of developing countries? Shanghai-based journalist Brook Larmer traveled to Namibia, where Chinese economic presence has grown rapidly in recent years, to talk to Namibian citizens and government officials about their experiences with their country’s powerful trading partner. 

Summary

While the United States has cut down its involvement in the developing world and grown suspicious of international trade arrangements, China is engaged in “what may be the largest global trade-and-investment spree in history.” The need for resources and new markets to fuel China’s growing economy, as well as Chinese ambitions to increase its global influence, is behind China’s outward push. According to Chinese president Xi Jinping, the nation plans to spend $1.6 trillion on infrastructure and development projects across Asia, Africa and the Middle East by 2027...

About the Author

Brook Larmer is a Shanghai-based journalist and writer. He is the author of Operation Yao Ming.

Comment on this summary