The European Union’s interaction with different countries all over the world has been characterised by the need to promote and accomplish a number of objectives such as democracy, the respect for human rights, maintaining the rule of law, creating good governance, and establishing and strengthening free market economies. Simply said, EU’s diplomacy brand heavily calls for “influencing the rules of the game” in the different regions of the world especially the developing African countries. On the other hand, China plays its diplomacy card by advocating for non-interference in the African countries’ internal affairs and drawing the line between economic cooperation and imposing political conditions on their bilateral partners.

China has been at its best with regard to developing partnerships and increasing its participation in African economies. This has effectively led to robust economic and political relations between China and most of its African partner countries with which it engages with. On the other hand, the bond between the European nations and the African countries has slowed in growth if not deteriorated. This is out of the fact that most EU countries impose strict regulations and conditions on any aid they offer to Africa. In the wake of the increased participation of China in Africa, the EU must rethink its operations in the African content for it to stand a chance of developing viable partnerships with the African countries. Whereas, the EU plays an important role in promoting democracy and good governance all over the world, it must realize that Africa is recovering from a recent past of colonization by among many of the EU’s member countries. Most importantly, the EU should comprehensively understand the African culture and in turn work towards promoting principles and values that most Africans are comfortable with. For instance, most African cultures do not approve of gay relations, and have strict laws governing this subject. On the contrary, most European countries actually approve of same sex relations and have passed laws that allow this.

It is, therefore, important that Europe focuses on Africa as a single entity with effective strategies that will redefine Europe’s partnerships with the African countries along the Chinese model of non interference with a country’s internal affairs. More importantly, is the need to realize that most African countries are fighting to assert their sovereignty on the international front. The big brother syndrome is slowly disappearing from among most African governments thanks to the emergence of new development partners such as china, India, and Japan. There is the need to increase the coordination and consistency of the EU’s policy instruments in order to establishing cooperation with the African countries. Whereas both Africa-China and EU-Africa relations are mooted on infrastructural and rural development, most EU-Africa partnerships impose conditions on the governance and conduct of African leaders and institutions awakening a new fear of neo-colonization. By 2006, china’s Africa trade with Africa surpassed the 55 billion US dollar mark with more growth experienced in the recent past. This has heavily impacted positively on the growth of African economies.

China has embarked on partnerships with such African countries such as Sudan and Angola without imposing any political conditions as on them and other nationals which have previously been considered as hostile and unfriendly towards the EU’s structural policies. Even more, China has continued to emphasize on the need for non-interference with sovereign affairs and the premise of diplomacy and dialogue in with the various countries. To that effect, China has been able to make inroads in many areas and countries in Africa especially the resource rich countries.

The EU must now focus on the most pertinent issues of economic and regional development in its relationship with Africa. To which effect, economic cooperation, trade development and staying away from issues concerning governance should be on the Europe’s mandate in Africa. The EU should desist from ‘dictating’ Africa and work toward dialogue and a new mode of diplomacy where it treats the African countries as mutual partners. Notably, it should realize that African leaders have seen beyond the veil of ‘western hypocrisy’ and that the African masses have taken up new found form of self-governance. As well, the EU should stop discriminating on different countries in channeling development aid into Africa since these does not only impoverish citizens, but also portends a bigger picture of hypocrisy among the EU member states and refutes the very ideals that the EU promotes in its relations with Africa. Lastly, the EU should realize the need to support African governments in their quests to achieve social and economic developments but desist from imposing ‘conditionalities’ on the African countries in giving development aid and other foreign assistance. Understanding the African cultural orientation towards aid, respect for traditions and leadership is important with regard in line with this perspective.

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