China's Rise in the Global South: The Middle East, Africa, and Beijing's Alternative World Order by Dawn C. Murphy

Abstract

Reviewed by: China's Rise in the Global South: The Middle East, Africa, and Beijing's Alternative World Order by Dawn C. Murphy Jiarui Wu Murphy, Dawn C. China's Rise in the Global South: The Middle East, Africa, and Beijing's Alternative World Order. Redwood City, CA: Stanford University Press, 2022. [End Page 237] China's rise as an economic powerhouse competing with the United States for power and influence globally is a development that has received mixed reactions from different players on the global scene. While to African nations, China's interest and support of developmental projects have been received as a blessing by these nations, the Western world and especially the United States remain wary and critical of China's growing influence in these developing nations. Fears of neocolonialism and the support of nations of interest that might lead to the resurgence of terrorist groups are some of the areas of concern raised by the United States. China's interest in the Middle East also concerns the United States. The Middle East is a central national interest area for the United States, which is concerned with fighting ISIS, preventing Iran from gaining nuclear power, and providing support to Israel. Competition for resources is also a critical factor in the emerging competition between China and the United States. Africa and the Middle East are rich in valuable resources, and China's interest in them raises concerns about the United States' future access to the resources. Additionally, it is still unclear whether China will be a cooperative or competitive player in the global market. Dawn Murphy's book provides an in-depth analysis of China's increased involvement in the Middle East and sub-Saharan Africa and the implications from a global perspective. Although China's relations with Africa are not a new development, the increase in its involvement in Africa and its increased influence on Africa's politics, economy, and provision of foreign aid and military engagements have raised Western nations' interest as they try to figure out how China's increased involvement will shift the global power dynamics. Similarly, China's increased sway in the Middle East threatens to shift the power dynamics in an area where the United States previously held much sway. The book looks at China's approach in relating to African and Middle Eastern nations. It also provides an in-depth look at the tools China employs in its foreign policy, including China's cooperation forums, United Nations (UN) Security Council voting, foreign aid, and free trade agreements. By providing a detailed look at China's approach, the book objectively compares China's and the United States' approaches and notes areas of similarity and divergences between the two. This comparison provides an excellent basis for predicting future China–US relations. Studies by various authors have reached vastly different conclusions on the impact of China–Africa relations, while the impact of its relations with Middle [End Page 238] Eastern nations has largely been understudied. The book argues that despite China not aggressively attempting to interfere in US–Africa relations, its rapid growth puts it in a competitive place with Western nations and makes it challenge the "rules of the liberal international system as it increasingly builds spheres of influence in these areas" (8). In essence, although not in outright competition, China–Africa/Middle East interactions are creating an alternative international order that might eventually lead to the collapse of the existing system and the emergence of a new order primarily influenced by China's model. The possibility of such development provides ample basis for the global interest in studying China's activities in African and Middle Eastern nations. In a departure from previous studies that have focused on the arising China–US tensions in their look at China's increasing influence in Africa, Murphy adopts a new approach. The author proposes a more wholesome approach to understanding China's growing influence in these regions. Rather than just focusing on the competitive relationship between the two nations, the book also analyzes the areas of cooperation. For example, some areas where China–US cooperation can be observed are participation in UN peacekeeping operations, limiting arms sales...