AEGIS ECAS 2007 - View abstract

Panel	67. New players, old tricks?: Africa in the 21st century
Paper ID	291
Author(s)	Huliaras, Asteris ; Magliveras, Konstantinos
Paper	No paper submitted
Abstract	The spectacularly growing Chinese presence in Africa, not only in the economic sector but in other fields as well, has particularly worried policymakers in Washington. Recent government documents, speeches and remarks by US officials, as well as discussions in Congress tend to consistently underline that China’s growing role in Africa should be a wakeup call for the United States. Some US policymakers have even added a dramatic tone speaking about a real threat to vital American interests. The warning by a Congressman is characteristic of the prevailing climate: ‘the engagement of China and the United States in Africa has begun to resemble competition for resources and influence that has the potential to result in an ugly dynamic akin to that created by the Soviet Union and the United States during the Cold War’. In contradiction to the US attitude, it is most interesting that no similar arguments have surfaced in the European Union. This is a clear paradox given the close and intense relations that the Union has maintained with Africa in the post-colonial era. Indeed, these relations are deeper, more complex and also far more institutionalized than Africa’s relations with the US. The paper tries to address and explain this paradox. The first part of the paper offers a detailed overview of the Chinese efforts to gain a foothold in Africa. The second part analyses the US reactions to this perceived Chinese threat. Finally, the third part argues that the combination of all or some of the following five reasons might explain why there has been no apparent reaction by the EU. First, from a geopolitical point of view, the EU has a different perception of China’s role and position in global politics. Secondly, the current EU views of power and security differ considerably from those of the US. Thirdly, the intense, multifaceted and long-standing relations with Africa may afford to the EU a feeling of superiority compared to other major players and a belief that its position cannot be seriously undermined in the near future. Fourthly, competing interests among Member States could have obstructed the Union from developing a proper understanding of the Chinese inroads. Fifthly, the role of the rotating Presidency in shaping the Union’s foreign policy agenda, where only selected topics that are being treated as crucial are usually included as priorities, may have contributed in not dealing with the Chinese “threat”.

Truths, Lies and Misperceptions: United States and European Union reactions to the growing Chinese presence in Africa