A thorough and fascinating study of motivations, relationships and impact of Chinese migrants in Africa.

China's recent stepping up of relations with Africa is one of the most significant developments on the African continent for decades. For some it promises an end to Africa's dependent aid relationships, as the Chinese bring expertise, technology and a stronger business focus. But for others it is no more than a new form of imperialism.

This book is the first to systematically study the motivations, relationships and impact of this migration. It focuses not just on the Chinese migrants but also on the perceptions of, and linkages to, their African 'hosts'. By studying this everyday interaction we get a much richer picture of whether this is South-South cooperation, as political leaders would have us believe, or a more complex relationship that can both compromise and encourage African development.

With a multi-scalar approach, connecting the global, the national and the local; the application of theories of intersectionality and cosmopolitanism; and examples from their in-depth research, the authors help us to understand the complexities and nuances of Chinese migrant engagements with Africans and their impact on Africa's development. This is an invaluable contribution; I wish I'd written it first!