In China's Wake

In China’s Wake is a bold and thorough piece of research in the tradition of ‘big picture’ global political economy. Steered by a theoretical framework, it weaves together China’s soaring demand for commodities; the boom in global markets for metals, fuels, and agricultural products; and development trajectories in resource-rich economies. The result is a fascinating contribution to development studies. – Robert H. Wade, London School of Economics and Political ScienceThe commodity boom driven by China’s demand has come and gone. Yet Nicholas Jepson shows that this boom transformed the developmental landscape of natural resource exporters forever. In China’s Wake is the most comprehensive account to date of the different responses to the boom across the global South and their consequences. It is an incisive introduction to the post-neoliberal, post-China world of development. – Ho-fung Hung, author of The China Boom: Why China Will Not Rule the WorldThis is an excellent book about China’s rise and its major ramifications for developing countries. Focusing on the role of commodities exports, Jepson employs a thoughtful, carefully honed analytical approach. He further adds quantitative analyses and fieldwork interviews. This book makes an important contribution to development studies. – Jan Nederveen Pieterse, author of Multipolar Globalization: Emerging Economies and DevelopmentAmong the excellent books that explore the consequences of China’s externalization for the global South, In China’s Wake is perhaps the best. Theoretically robust and empirically rich, it engages with the implications of China-driven shifts in global market conditions for the development trajectories of fifteen countries across four world-regions. This is a path-breaking and stunningly original contribution that substantially advances our understanding of China’s relation to global transformation. – Jeffrey Henderson, professor emeritus of international development, University of BristolWhile much of today’s China scholarship focuses on the negative impact of China’s growing technological and economic power on other countries, this important book looks at the other side of the argument: how China’s break with neoliberal orthodoxy benefited resource-rich countries, particularly during the boom period of commodity exports. This balanced account is a must-read for anyone interested in China’s global role with developing countries. – Richard P. Appelbaum, coauthor of Innovation in China: Challenging the Global Science and Technology SystemHighly recommended * Choice *

Nicholas Jepson is Hallsworth Research Fellow in Chinese political economy at the University of Manchester’s Global Development Institute.