In case you missed it (as I initially did!) FastCompany has an interesting six-part series on China in Africa, with focus on Mozambique, Zambia, Congo, and Equatorial Guinea. The report has, as Chris Blattman notes in his post, an at times alarmist tone referring, for example, to Chinese resource extraction as the "Great Chinese Takeout." An interesting perspective, to be sure.
Curious phrases aside, the report offers much valuable information. Particularly in its analysis of the Zambian case (the country with which I'm most familiar) it aptly describes China's role in Zambia's mining industry, its labor 'standards,' access to credit and linkages with the Chinese government. Moreover, it presents quite remarkable bits of data such as these:
For those who previously questioned the significance of China's entry into Africa, these graphs alone should be enough to allay their doubts. What remains to be yet determined, however, is what exactly all this means for African economies. While the report goes a long way in describing the 'what' element of China in Africa it falls short of addressing the 'why' and 'how.' Nevertheless, the series makes for a good read and presents much useful information. I highly recommend it.