Summary

Lusaka, Zambia, transitions to the north from a bustling modern metropolis to overcrowded slums. Africa is a storehouse of natural resources. Zambia is one of the top producers of copper on the continent. China represents 40% of the world’s demand for copper. One of China’s main goal for its investment in Africa is to create future markets for Chinese exports. The Chinese have been investing in Zambia since the early 1990s.

Chinese investment and increased African trade have apparently led to an increase in the number of middle-class Africans. Public education had advanced with a huge jump in high school enrollment. French noted the signs of Western influence as evidenced by teens who wore stylish clothing and baseball caps and rode skate boards. New housing was going up everywhere. It seemed that China was the only country to realize...