A Comparison of the EU and China's Aid Policies in Africa

Abstract

Since the beginning of the 21st century, the rise of African power has become a major factor influencing the international political situation, but Africa itself is still objectively lagging most parts of the world in terms of its level of development. China and the European Union, in conjunction with the UN's development programme, have become important players in supporting Africa's rise. As a long-established political and economic phenomenon in state relations, foreign aid policy is also an extension of the internal political economy of national alliances or organizations of states and is one of the most important means by which each state can safeguard its economic interests and achieve its strategic objectives. China and the EU differ in their aid policies towards Africa and have many features that can be learned from each other. By starting from the aid policies of China and the EU towards Africa and using comparative regionalism as a theoretical guide, this paper summarizes the strengths and weaknesses of the aid policies of the two parties towards Africa and will propose constructive ideas for the establishment of a new inter-aid international structure and the promotion of closer cooperation between China, the EU and Africa.