Sino-African relations during the T'ang Dynasty (618-907 A.D.)

I've recently been working on a chapter which is to be included in a great forthcoming book edited by Emma Mawdsley and Gerard McCann on contemporary Indian-African relations. The chapter examines in a comparative perspective Chinese and Indian entrepreneurs in the East African economies, ultimately arguing that the competitive advantages enjoyed by the Chinese enable them to out-compete their Indian-origin and African counterparts.

In conducting research for the piece, I stumbled across a fascinating source on Sino-African relations which - finally and thankfully - puts a lid on any claims of novelty surrounding present bilateral relations, tracing interactions between Chinese and African merchants back in time across the centuries. The source is the Yu-yang-tsa-tu written by Tuan Ch'eng-shih during the T'ang Dynasty (618-907 A.D). The Yu-yang-tsa-tu is a compendium of general knowledge written about the land of 'Po-pa-li,' i.e. present day Somalia, and it describes from a Chinese perspective daily life in Po-pa-li and, perhaps most curiously, the blood oaths taken between Chinese and Somali traders prior to engaging in the barter of goods. Those were the days.

Excerpts from the book may be found in Robert Collin's East African History v. 2 (African History in Documents), snippets of which are available through Google books. The work is, above all else, a fascinating insight into not only (very) early-day Somalia, but also early Chinese perceptions of Africa - some of which remain unaltered today.

Noteworthy...

Posting here will likely be light(-ish) through the end of this month, as I'm currently in the process of moving back to Oxford after a year-long hiatus. As you might imagine, things are rather hectic, and I imagine that they will remain as such until I'm properly settled in the city of dreaming spires come the end of September/early October. Please do bear with me!

For now, some very noteworthy reads (now bulleted for your reading pleasure owing to their number. Slightly more optically pleasing, no?):

• Protests have again broken out in Urumqi, the capital of China's Xinjiang province, two months after the initial turmoil. Thousands of Han Chinese have taken to the street touting the "uselessness" of the government and its failure to provide appropriate security protections in the region
• John Prendergast, co-chair of the ENOUGH Project, discusses the flaws in the Obama administration's Sudan policy and what should be done to remedy them. Mark Goldberg was right: Darfur activists appear to be losing their patience
• Gmail was down for a while this week, and it seems that the world nearly stood still. Why do we freak out over such seemingly insignificant technical glitches?
• It's no secret that the Chinese cook their books. What's perhaps less well known is that the cooking is done not by central CCP bureaucrats, but by local and provincial government officials. Such a reality speaks to the complexities of center-periphery relations in the country
• Is Kenya falling apart? It certainly appears that way, especially with the Kenyan state growing increasingly less visible and less relevant
• One-third of Chinese scientists want to switch careers and wouldn't recommend their profession to their children. Too little pay, too much work
• While I'm certainly no expert on Honduran politics, I nevertheless find it rather curious that the U.S. is threatening not to recognize the results of the Honduran elections to be held this November. This decision is based on the "current existing conditions" in the country, which have deteriorated since the June 28 coup. If this is indeed the sole guiding motive, surely the U.S. should not have recognized the Iranian election results either?
• Via Texas in Africa I learn of a brilliant series being run by Myles Estey over at The Esteyonage. The series, 'Gettin by,' looks at the micro-economy of Liberia and the means by which people outside the national statistics make a living. While the focus in solely on Liberia, the findings are indubitably applicable to other African states as well
• Amartya Sen's new book, The Idea of Justice, is 490-some pages of wise Sen-isms. Two themes predominate: economic rationality and social injustice. Occasional swings at John Rawls are also taken, which (depending on your guiding philosophy) make the book both witty and exceptionally informative. The Economist's review of the book may be found here

Noteworthy...

My goodness, where to begin? ....

Harvard (yes, that Harvard) is branching out beyond the world of academia to establish its own 'preppy' fashion line. I suppose it's quite safe to say that the university's economic woes must truly be taking a toll...

Adam Hothchild's "Rape of the Congo" from this edition of the NYRB. Quite apropos given Secretary Clinton's current visit there

Iran and China have just signed a $3 billion oil deal, wherein which China is to help develop Iran's refinery capacity in Abadan and the Gulf. Nearly one-fourth of Iran's petroleum exports already go to China

Buying mines in Africa and the question of China's soft power. Alternatively titled: Chinese adventures in the African resource market, as told by Sheishi (whoever she may be)

Slightly tardy (on my end), though nevertheless most worthwhile: via Aid Watch a review of Michaela Wrong's book, It's Our Turn to Eat: The Story of a Kenyan Whistle-Blower

In which my faith in the USPS is temporarily restored

I've been based in the US for the past few months and in a few short weeks will be returning to my beloved Oxford to continue with my PhD work. I'm thrilled to be heading back, though am ever so slightly intimidated by the amount of things I've managed to accumulate during my time here; things that I somehow need to transport back across the pond. Foremost among these are books.

It seems that everywhere I traveled over the past few months I stumbled upon wonderful used and collector bookshops: Raven Books in Cambridge, MA; the always-wonderful Strand in NYC; Bookman Bookwoman in Nashville; and of course my beloved Bookman's Alley in Evanston, where I passed many a day while an undergraduate at Northwestern. Not being one to resist the temptation of a good read, I've managed to acquire quite a large collection which must now find its way to England. The lingering question, is how?

Just yesterday I stumbled across a service hosted by USPS - M bags - through which one can mail printed material overseas for a reduced rate. You're charged $35 for 11 lbs., and $3 for every additional pound. It's not the most amazing of bargains, but it is generally quite cheaper than what one would otherwise pay. Fabulous! It's so wonderful to discover that the postal service is kind to bibliophiles such as myself! Has anyone used this service and is it indeed recommended? Is anyone aware of other cost-efficient ways of transporting books overseas? Thoughts, comments, insights would be well appreciated!

Oh yes, and do have an enjoyable weekend!