China and Mozambique: From Comrades to Capitalists

China’s rising position in African affairs, from that of quiescence to becoming a key economic actor on the continent, is now a well-recognized fact. The emergence of China as Africa’s top trading partner and the leading source of foreign direct investment has sharpened the focus on Chinese aspiration and conduct in Africa. Two-way trade is surging and at the same time the range of reactions to greater Chinese involvement across Africa has varied from enthusiastic embrace by elites to caution from businesses, trade unions and civil society, and even hostility from some local communities. As China-Africa ties have grown in depth and complexity, it is necessary to go beyond the larger surveys to delve into a bilateral relationship to get a fuller sense of the ties today. This book explores one case in particular: the relationship between China and Mozambique and the specificities that it brings to the aforementioned general themes in China-Africa relations. It begins by examining the bilateral relationship in both its historical context and more contemporary forms. It then looks at Chinese investment in the Mozambican banking sector and at elite business alliances in agriculture and infrastructure. It also discusses the meaning and implications of the cooperation between the two countries.