China's Second Continent Book Summary - China's Second Continent Book explained in key points

Listen to the Intro

00:00

China's Second Continent summary

Name: China's Second Continent
Rating: 3.9 (85 reviews)
Author: Howard French

Howard French

How a Million Migrants are Building a New Empire in Africa

3.9 (85 ratings)

17 mins

What is China's Second Continent about?

China's Second Continent (2014) is about the mass wave of Chinese migrants who have relocated to Africa in the last few decades. These blinks trace the origins of this migration and outline the profound impact it has on both regions, Chinese-African relations and the world at large.

Table of Contents

China's Second Continent
summarized in 8 key ideas

Audio & text in the Blinkist app

Key idea 1 of 8

What’s in it for me? Discover how Africa has become China’s main interest.

Despite being separated by thousands of kilometers and cultural differences, China and the African continent are more closely linked than one might think. Over the last decades, the world’s most populous country has started to take a keen interest in Africa, but it’s not only the Chinese government that has become involved – many Chinese people have actually decided to move to Africa to pursue a better life.

So what does this mean for the people of Africa and the Chinese migrants? While it might seem ideal that an economic superpower like China has embraced a continent that still has much economic development ahead of it, the full story isn’t quite as straightforward. It’s a story that plays out on many levels: geopolitical, economic and on a personal level as well.

In these blinks, you’ll discover

how there will be more people in Africa than Asia by 2050;
why a Chinese farmer moved to Mozambique; and
how the main streets of Dakar, Senegal can feel more Chinese than African.

China has benefited greatly from globalization, but still faces many social problems.

Everyone has seen the phrase “Made in China” stamped on a product at some point. China might seem to be the world's factory, but it hasn't always been that way. Chinese products actually began spreading in the 1970s, when China started reaping the benefits of the first wave of globalization.

Today, China is the fastest-growing economy in the world, thanks largely to the Western companies that have relocated their production there after the ‘70s. It was more profitable for such companies to produce goods in China because of the country’s large pool of human resources and its different political climate.

In fact, 40 percent of the world's economic growth over the last two decades has come from China alone. Over the same period, the Chinese economy has maintained an average annual growth rate of 10.2 percent – and it's no longer satisfied with just being the world's factory. China is now stepping up as a major player in international politics and is ready to shape the global market.

Economic progress hasn't improved the lives of all Chinese people, however, and many still want to leave the country. Several of the Chinese people interviewed by the author described the intense social pressure they're under at home. Overpopulation, the one-child policy (which limits couples to having only one child) and harsh competition in the workplace have left many Chinese people frustrated with their society.

Hao, a Chinese man who started his own farm in Mozambique, was very clear about his dislike for the social system he left behind. He and many others have emigrated from China, where they can't get ahead because of widespread corruption and the extreme gap between rich and poor. These migrants relocate so they can have more opportunities for advancement, but also to find new homes for their families.

With its rapid growth, China needs a new place to expand to, and it's found the perfect spot: Africa.

The Chinese government has already been strategically strengthening its ties to Africa for the last 20 years.

For the last several years, Africa hasn't received much attention from the West. Few Western delegates pay regular visits, but Chinese politicians do, and often.

Countries across Africa are at a critical point right now. African economies are growing quickly and soon the continent as a whole will overtake China's growth rate. Africa's demographics are also changing: it is predicted that by 2050, there will be more people in Africa than in Asia.

Chinese migrants have had a profound impact on Chinese-African relations.

There are currently over one million Chinese people living in Africa and they've built a strong network of contacts back home, encouraging ever more and more to make the same move. So what exactly is the appeal?

As the social situation in China deteriorates, many are starting to view Africa as their only hope. A lot of Chinese people who move to Africa want to establish new lives for themselves and their families and they can do that with greater ease if, for example, their sons marry African women.

Chinese migrants and African locals both have prejudices against each other, but know their partnership could be very beneficial.

It's not uncommon to hear Chinese migrants in Africa make racist statements like “blacks are lazy.” Africans, on the other hand, often complain that the Chinese are taking over their communities and lack basic respect for their culture. These prejudices exist for a number of reason.

One reason is that Chinese migrants are often uneducated and uninterested in their host cultures. Many of the migrants the author interviewed lacked basic knowledge about the African countries they were living in. They tended to know little about their cultures, sometimes not even knowing what language they spoke. Hao didn't even know which countries border Mozambique.

China often exploits African resources, which causes a lot of political tension in African communities.

Mozambique is one of the most fertile countries in the world. Its soil is so rich that the jungle would take over cropland in a matter weeks if it wasn't kept at bay. Local tribes have cultivated this land for centuries, but many now feel the Chinese are stealing it.

Many territorial disputes like this one stem from legal problems and a disregard for the rights of tribes who use the land. In most Western countries, one has to buy land from the state, but in Mozambique, tribes have farmed for generations without having state-sanctioned ownership of their land.

Chinese businesses and workers are rapidly increasing their presence and power in African economies.

Not all Chinese migrants are wealthy business owners. Many of them are used to what the Chinese call “eating bitter”: doing very hard work to sustain themselves and their families. The economic differences among Chinese migrants also have an effect on their relationships with the locals.

In Senegal, Chinese migrants have taken over nearly all of the country’s trade in recent years. As recently as 15 years ago, if you walked down the main streets of Dakar, you'd see a beautiful scene with small cafes and restaurants. The same area is now overrun with shops selling cheap mobile phones, jewellery and other tourist souvenirs that break right after you buy them.

In the more corrupt African countries, the Chinese government makes backroom deals that don't benefit local populations.

Mali is one of the poorest countries in the world. The Malian government is highly corrupt, and often makes secret deals with the Chinese government. These deals don't benefit the local people at all – only the leaders’ themselves benefit.

The Chinese government often takes advantage of corrupt African governments in this way to secure more business deals and resources. Beijing hasn't established itself as a big creditor or business partner for Africa; rather, they have gained their influence through corrupt methods like paying off government workers to negotiate behind closed doors. They also don't involve any NGOs or other organizations that monitor negotiations and protect the interests of locals.

The Chinese government is building a new kind of empire in Africa.

When you hear the word “empire,” you might imagine the once-sprawling political and colonial spheres of Britain or France. The Chinese government isn't using that strategy in Africa, but the scope of their control and influence is still starting to resemble that of an empire.

In the past, empires could only be established through force. European powers colonized Africa by swooping in with their militaries and asserting economic and political domination. They oppressed the locals, then took their resources and sent them away.

Want to see all full key ideas from China's Second Continent?

Key ideas in China's Second Continent

More knowledge in less time

Read or listen

Get the key ideas from nonfiction bestsellers in minutes, not hours.

Find your next read

Get book lists curated by experts and personalized recommendations.

Shortcasts ^New

We’ve teamed up with podcast creators to bring you key insights from podcasts.

About the Author

Howard W. French is a professor of journalism and photography at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism. He served as a foreign correspondent for the New York Times for 23 years and has been nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Who should read China's Second Continent?

Students of Chinese or African politics
Anyone interested in international relations
Anyone curious about the long-term influence of mass migration

Categories with China's Second Continent

Politics

Books like China's Second Continent

China In Ten Words

Yu Hua

The ten key concepts underlying China’s transformation

An Insider Unmasks the New Economic Superpower

Uncover the history of Africa’s most populous country

A New Africa Breaks Free

China, Silicon Valley, and the New World Order

The Hero with a Thousand Faces

Joseph Campbell

Understanding the Hero’s Journey Through Psychology and Mythology

16 min

4.5

Leadership and the Rise of Great Powers

Yan Xuetong

How leadership determines the fate of nations

A Surprising Economic History of the World

16 min

4.2

China’s Super Consumers

Savio Chan and Michael Zakkour

What 1 Billion Customers Want and How to Sell it to Them

16 min

4.5

The 1-Page Marketing Plan

Allan Dib

Get New Customers, Make More Money, And Stand Out From The Crowd

16 min

4.5

The Warmth of Other Suns

Isabel Wilkerson

The Epic Story of America's Great Migration

Upgrade Your Brain, Learn Anything Faster, and Unlock Your Exceptional Life

America, China, and the Battle for the 21st Century

The 4000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam

Your Country Needs Them

The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

The Present and Future of the World

A War Reporter’s Mission to Make It Home

How Europe Went To War in 1914

Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business

28 min

4.4

Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World

Jack Weatherford

The fascinating story behind the Mongol Empire

Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

19 min

4.5

Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy

Joseph Schumpeter

Essential analysis on where the world economy is headed

23 min

4.2

The Body Keeps the Score

Bessel van der Kolk

Mind, Brain and the Body in the Transformation of Trauma

18 min

4.5

Impromptu

Reid Hoffman with GPT-4

Amplifying Our Humanity Through AI

A Journey Through Middle Earth—A Lord of the Rings Prequel

21 min

4.5

Freakonomics

Steven D. Levitt and Stephen J. Dubner

A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything

How Britain Made the Modern World

A foundational work in the history of Western political philosophy

29 min

4.6

The Laws of Thermodynamics

Peter Atkins

A Very Short Introduction

Your Personal Guide to the Mastery of Magic Words

Discovering a Life Beyond the Clock

A Story of Courage, Community, and War

19 min

4.6

The Book of Five Rings

Miyamoto Musashi

A Classic Text on the Japanese Way of the Sword

How Breaking Family Patterns Can Liberate the Way We Live and Love

The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

What America's Founders Learned from the Greeks and Romans and How That Shaped Our Country

23 min

4.3

The New Confessions of an Economic Hit Man

John Perkins

An insider's account of imperialism in the modern age

The Unmaking of America: A Recent History

26 min

3.8

A Brief History of Everyone Who Ever Lived

Adam Rutherford

The Human Story Retold Through Our Genes

A Flaw in Human Judgment

19 min

4.4

The Procrastination Cure

Damon Zahariades

21 Proven Tactics for Conquering Your Inner Procrastinator, Mastering Your Time, and Boosting Your Productivity!

23 min

4.5

The 48 Laws of Power (New Version)

Robert Greene

The secret methods to getting what you want

33 min

4.2

The Highly Sensitive Person

Elaine N. Aron

How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You

The Tactics, Routines and Habits of Billionaires, Icons and World-Class Performers

16 min

3.8

Slouching Towards Utopia

J. Bradford DeLong

An Economic History of the Twentieth Century

On the Origins of Life, Meaning and the Universe Itself

18 min

4.1

The Virtue of Selfishness

Ayn Rand

A New Concept of Egoism

19 min

4.1

Sun Tzu and the Art of Business

Mark R. McNeilly

Six Strategic Principles for Managers

17 min

4.6

People ❤️ Blinkist

Sven O.

It's highly addictive to get core insights on personally relevant topics without repetition or triviality. Added to that the apps ability to suggest kindred interests opens up a foundation of knowledge.

Thi Viet Quynh N.

Great app. Good selection of book summaries you can read or listen to while commuting. Instead of scrolling through your social media news feed, this is a much better way to spend your spare time in my opinion.

Jonathan A.

Life changing. The concept of being able to grasp a book's main point in such a short time truly opens multiple opportunities to grow every area of your life at a faster rate.

Renee D.

Great app. Addicting. Perfect for wait times, morning coffee, evening before bed. Extremely well written, thorough, easy to use.