China’s Evolving Behaviour in Africa and the Options of Cooperation with Europe

By all means, China's return to Africa has been a bumpy journey. Not only was it one of the most scrutinized recent events in international politics; it also tested China's traditional diplomatic premises such as non-interference, equality, and mutually beneficial cooperation. Overall, it becomes clear that China has seen its economic presence and its diplomatic manoeuvrability being imperilled, not the least by bad governance, the lack of regional stability, and piracy in Africa. Most contributors to this issue also recognize that this makes cooperation with Europe imperative. Yet, they also find that pressing common interests have not been sufficiently converted into synergies - neither bilaterally between China and Europe, nor in a trilateral setting with African stakeholders.