Converging Critical Issues, Competing Actors? Europe and China towards Security in Africa

1. Converging Critical Issues, Competing Actors?Europe and China towards Security in Africa Dr Catherine Gegout RUSI Conference 21-22/09/11

2. Questions How do European and Chinese actors address critical security issues in Africa? What are their priorities and strategies? And under which conditions are they, or could they be working together?

3. Argument This paper argues that European and Chinese actors present themselves as ethical actors towards Africa, but in practice are more concerned with the security of their citizens and businesses than that of people in Africa. It also shows that they are increasingly cooperating with one another in order to address similar security problems.

4. Outline 1. Europe, Security for Africa or for Europeans? 2. China, RevisingitsStatus Quo Policy 3. Europe and China: ForcedCooperation and Trust-Building

5. Europe, Security for Africa or for Europeans? This section shows that on the one hand, Europe puts an emphasis on peace-making and African institution building (political advice on the creation of institutions, financial participation, training of troops, planning capacities). However on the other hand, it faces many internal disagreements among its member states, it does not consider the African Union an important international actor, it is desperate to prevent migrants from entering its territory, it sells arms to Africa, and it is reluctant to legislate against its companies which illegally exploit resources in Africa. Peace-making and Institution-building Ensuring European Security and Economic Interests

6. China, RevisingitsStatus Quo Policy China is traditionally in favour of a status quo policy, as it does not want to interfere in conflicts within African states, and as it prefers to make business deals with African states on a bilateral level rather than to focus on the African Union. However, this status quo policy has had unintended consequences at a time when there is an increased presence of Chinese workers and businesses in Africa. Non-Interference Backlash and Response

7. Europe and China: ForcedCooperation and Trust-Building China does not seem to want to establishinstitutional relations with the European Union and the African Union. Instead, the UN Security Council is the main institution wherehighly sensitive security issues are discussedbetweenEuropean and Chineseactors. They have cooperated on the fightagainstpiracy. China was absent from the negotiations on conflict management in the IvoryCoast, but itaccepted to condemnGaddafi’spolicy in Libyaat the UN in 2011. This section analyses the extent of cooperationbetween Europe and China in thesefields. Lackof InstitutionalCooperation FightagainstPiracy IvoryCoast and Libya

8. Conclusion Similar critical issues, similar motives and responses: - concerned with promoting their own image at the UN - in favour of multilateralism - prefer using the UN rather than African institutions to deal with crises in Africa - do not always agree with the policies adopted by the African Union