Göttingen Lecture Series on Modern East Asia

1968..._Chairman_Mao_is_the_great_liberator_of_the_world_s_revolutionary_people____Flickr_-_Fotosharing_-255x300LECTURE: The African Policies of EU and People‘s Republic of China

Thursday, November 14, 2013
6 pm, KWZ, Room 0.603
Dr. Niall Duggan
University of Göttingen

Lecture Abstract:

Both Europe and China have strong strategic interests in Africa. However, the actions of one of these two actors in Africa can often be counterproductive to the actions of the other, which can often lead to a negative impact on Africa itself. Both the European Union and the People’s Republic of China have issued a policy on Africa. These documents outline how each actor intends to undertake its actions in Africa. Each actor outlines its political and economic interests in Africa, as well as the role it intends to play in the development of the region. There are numerous differences in the policies of each actor, most notably in terms of how to deal with states that have poor human rights records or a history of misusing funds intended for development projects. A number of similarities can be found between the two policies, such as their commitment to combat terrorism and organised crime. This paper examines the call for trilateral dialogue and cooperation between the EU, China and Africa and looks at how such a dialogue would operate, who would benefit most and whether it could replace the EU’s and China’s current policies on Africa.