Brussels, 23/10/2008 (Agence Europe) - Since 2000, trade between China and Africa has grown, Chinese investment on the African continent has considerably increased and China has stepped up development cooperation with African countries. Beijing set out its new strategy on Africa in a 2006 White Paper on its African policy, which gives priority to the promotion of peace and stability, development and common prosperity. Due to its colonial past, the EU has long enjoyed close and privileged relations with Africa. On the occasion of the 10th EU/China summit, held in Beijing on 28 November last year, both parties acknowledged their strong interest in promoting stable, sustainable development in Africa. It was in this context that the European Commission adopted last Friday a communication in which it recommends establishment of trilateral cooperation and dialogue between the EU, Africa and China. In practical terms, the Commission trusts that Africa, China and the EU will define and tackle together “with flexibility and pragmatism” a number of specific areas in which there can be trilateral cooperation and, whenever possible, link this cooperation to the commitments they have taken in international meetings and more especially within the United Nations.
The proposed cooperation should be based on progressiveness, pragmatism and aid efficiency and fully involve all three parties. In a first phase, the Commission sets a series of objectives that should be more easily attained with trilateral cooperation: - peace and security in Africa; - support to African infrastructure; - sustainable management of the environment and of natural resources; - and the rise in productivity of the farm sector and food safety. In order to achieve these aims, the Commission considers it necessary to enlarge dialogue to the central and local levels, supported by existing EU/Africa and EU/China dialogue. More specifically, it calls on EU member states and on the EU's African and Chinese partner states to cooperate in organising trilateral initiatives in the following areas to: - strengthen coordination as part of the international initiatives and organisations interested, mainly African initiatives, and define the most suitable cooperation arrangements; - intensify visits as well as exchange of officials between the different parties and establish a network to support trilateral cooperation and dialogue, at international level, central level and at the level of the various countries, while improving the flow of information; - organise an annual meeting of senior officials (EU-African Union, China) to ensure strategic coordination of dialogue and cooperation, with the meeting organised on a rotating basis by the parties: - invite the AU Troika to take part in annual EU-China dialogue on Africa; - step up research and production of knowledge in specific fields; - and conclude specific agreements between agencies, institutions and associations to facilitate the launch of joint initiatives geared to achieving results.
In the hope of submitting its communication to African and Chinese partners to be able to discuss it at ensuing summits or at ministerial level, the Commission calls on the Council and European Parliament to approve its proposals. The communication may be consulted at the following address: http: //eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=COM: 2008: 0654: FIN: EN: PDF (O.L./trans.jl)