This is an easily accessible book suitable for those seeking an introductory undergraduate text in this area. The editor has brought together a group of continental European scholars to address the issue of China's ‘rise’ in Africa. Most of the chapters are well written and the book is well structured with introductory overview chapters covering China's engagements in Africa and its own economic liberalisation. These are followed by thematic chapters on aid, trade and investment in Africa and case studies of Zambia and Sudan. There is also a chapter on the potential for fair trade and ‘responsible production’ by Chinese companies in Africa. Six of the ten chapters are authored or co-authored by the editor.

The book is unusual in that it develops some interesting typologies of engagement, and has particularly good graphs and explanatory matrices. It also contains many interesting facts, such as that Sudanese oil is sold to China for US$65 dollars a barrel, even when the international oil price was more than double that – although there are also price differences based on quality which need to be accounted for. The strengths of the book are also, however, some of its weaknesses for researchers working in this area. Most of the chapters are not based on empirical research, the exception being the excellent chapter on Zambia by Bastholm and Kragelund. Some of the chapters also contradict each other. For example, we are told that China is now Africa's largest trading partner, that it is second, and that it is quickly catching up with the USA and the EU. In other instances it is asserted that China prioritises technological transfer, while one chapter argues that this is a feature of the Washington but not the ‘Beijing Consensus’.

The editor is also relatively uncritical of the activities of the EU and USA and their companies, arguing that these ‘compare favourably with what China is doing in Africa’ (p. 208). The case for this is not definitively proven, although there is a particularly good comparative discussion in one of the chapters of European, American and Chinese market access policies. The editor makes the case that despite recent Chinese tariff exemptions, the European and American markets are in theory substantially more open to African exports. However, whether this is realised in practice partly depends on the nature and implementation of phytosanitary measures for agricultural exports.

This book is a useful addition to the literature on ‘China in Africa’. Some of the chapters add substantially to our understanding while others provide good overviews. However, I would argue that if the book is assigned as an undergraduate text, other related work should also be assigned and students should be encouraged to read it critically. In some ways the editor's positions may be a useful foil to stimulate classroom debate.