There is a rapidly growing body of literature on Sino-African relations as Chinese engagements all across the African continent have been stirring up emotions and fears among the various actors of the international arena, in particular, amongst the more Western community of developed states. It is of significance today that we live in an “era of great transformations” as more centres of gravity vie for attention in a gradually more multipolar (even interpolar) environment. China is certainly one of the key (rival) players and its policies and strategic moves in Africa have inevitably become an intriguing topic of scholarly debate. The first question, therefore, when opening yet another collection of essays on China–Africa relations is how the editors could provide a different scope, together with a unique approach “that goes beyond simplistic viewpoints” (p. 18), and not publish an ordinary, even repetitive volume.

China–Africa Relations in an Era of Great Transformations is a finely edited book of ten well-written papers (including the Introduction) seeking to revisit contemporary Sino-African linkages “in critical, comparative context by reference to Karl Polanyi's historical analysis” (p. 1) and to examine China's rise and behaviour in the complex manifestation of the “coexistence of varieties of capitalism” (p. 3). The statist approach to business encouraged by emerging countries, among which China provides an exemplary case, has undoubtedly presented attractive options for change to many countries of the Global South. The authors of the chapters look closely at how in an emerging East–South developmental perspective “double-movements” can unfold, as China's African presence comes along with a series of implications for African development.

In the first chapter Ashley Kim Stewart and Li Xing address Chinese aid and trade in Africa, pointing out that “the world system has been surprisingly slow to understand and react to the Chinese challenge” (p. 36), which influences how and to what degree international aid practices can change. It may, however, be too optimistic and early to say that “China's involvement in Africa […] is allowing African countries to rewrite the rules of the aid system” (p. 43).

Chapter two by Emilian Kavalski is an extremely valuable contribution to a better understanding of China's normative power, which is analysed in a “world of asymmetric relationships, [in which] respect […] requires special attention” (p. 59) – a determining element of the pragmatic and reciprocal Confucian logic of relationships. Kavalski provides a firm comparison of the African and Central Asian experiences in China's normative foreign policy.

After Sven Grimm and Meryl Burgess explore the environmental challenges, opportunities and related policies of Sino-African relations in chapter three, Xu Yi-chong focuses on large central state-owned enterprises, examining those which are involved in infrastructure development and natural resources-connected projects (chapter four). One major observation is about the paradox that “while the central government encourages and supports Chinese firms to “go out” to compete in the global market, Africa included, some activities of Chinese players in Africa can contradict or even undermine the very political and diplomatic objectives adopted by the central government” (p. 103).

Chapter five by Henning Melber deals with European and Chinese presence in Sub-Saharan Africa, critically investigating the Economic Partnership Agreements (EPAs), but also revisiting the role of the state in managing, for instance, competitive approaches “for entering favourable relations with African countries” (p. 120).

Renu Modi follows the core thread of comparison elaborating upon Indian and Chinese soft power in Africa (chapter six). Certainly more attention needs to be devoted to the diaspora and recent immigration tendencies, as migrants – and not only in the case of India due to its diaspora's longer historic coexistence within the African realm – can act “as a bridge between the partners” (p. 140).

In chapter seven, Abdulkadir Osman Farah discusses the “diverging engagement approaches to the [African] continent's development” (p. 145) of the US and China, offering empirical evidence on the involvement of the two giants in Somalia. Again, the importance of the diaspora is emphasized, especially when taking into account the weaknesses and failures of the Somali state.

In the following chapter, Lucy Corkin uses substantial data to compare Chinese and Brazilian presence and involvement in Africa's development, both striving for larger economic footprints on the continent. Corkin's case study is Angola, which for both countries means a progressive partner.

Finally, Sanusha Naidu looks at South Africa and the collaborative project of BRICS, examining whether the country's “global stature and its Africa policies [are] being redefined through the lens of [such] global groupings” (p. 186). It seems to be a fair conclusion that “the greatest challenge for South Africa is to start making BRIC work for itself” (p. 200), while obviously the aspirations of the partners remain another challenge to handle with care.

Some of the illustrations of the book (for instance, table 8.1 on p. 164) could have been better edited or presented, particularly the stand-alone figure 1.1 (p. 30), which fails to achieve its aim of explicating “the traditional international aid system and China's impact on it.” Apart from such nuances, however, China–Africa Relations in an Era of Great Transformations is a fresh scholarly volume full of skilful observations that prepare the ground for more academic debate about Afro-Asian dynamics.