Globalisation and the Rise of the State? Chinese Geogovernance in Zambia

The predominant narrative of globalisation is that it has led to a decline in the power of the nation state and an increase in the power of markets. Others note that the power of the state has increased along some dimensions, even as it has lost economic power. Both of these literatures, however, tend to be too reductive by focusing on the national scale. In contrast, this paper argues that globalisation may reconfigure, respatialise, and potentially increase the economic and political power of certain states. This hypothesis is tested empirically through reference to Chinese engagement in the Southern African country of Zambia using data obtained from in-depth interviews conducted with government officials, Chinese business owners, employees and other key informants.