By Javier Solana
The European Union and China need to work more closely together
in Africa in 2007. We have both made important commitments to our
African partners, but much still remains to be done to deliver
these commitments effectively.
Africa is on the move, diversifying economically. It is also
enjoying substantial growth rates after years of stagnation and
crises.
A new generation of African leaders is under way to truly
integrate African societies in the world economy and to ensure the
political place Africa deserves. Democracy is gaining ground and
the number of armed conflicts in Africa is diminishing. We are
coming closer to the point where vicious circles of instability,
poverty and war turn into a virtuous circle of growth and
stability.
The EU and China have both responsibility and interest in
cooperating more closely in fostering these developments,
supporting peace, security and development. We are both already
active. But we can achieve even more if we are pulling together in
support of agreed objectives.
For this reason, I warmly welcome the agreement at the most
recent EU-China Summit in Finland in September last year to
establish a regular senior official-level dialog on Africa. To be
more effective we need better understanding of what we each are
doing, of the policies and programs we each are pursuing, not least
to ensure that our efforts do not cut across each other as they
sometimes have in the past.
Even before this decision, our Africa experts had already met
informally, but it is important for us both that such a dialog is
taken forward, and I am keen that the first such meeting take place
early in this new year.
There is already of course a significant framework of
international commitments to guide our action and cooperation. Both
China and the EU are committed to the achievement of the UN's
Millennium Development Goals, which are supplemented by the
principles in the New Partnership for Africa's Development
(NEPAD).
Working with African partners, we are making progress on poverty
reduction and sustainable development, underpinned by peace and
security, human rights, good governance, democracy and sound
economic management. There has been African ownership and control
of this process since the beginning this is essential to success
and is a fundamental principle of our engagement.
On this basis, the EU committed itself in November 2005 to a
clear and ambitious strategy for partnership with Africa, in
parallel with a commitment to substantially increase aid and to
promote debt cancellation.
This strategy highlighted the importance of peace and security,
good governance, trade and regional integration for growth, support
for improvements in African infrastructure, assistance in the fight
against AIDS, increased funding for health and education and
stressing the importance of African ownership.
In delivery of this strategy, the EU has intensified its dialog
and partnership with Africa, most notably with the African Union,
and has begun to prepare a joint EU/Africa strategy this
underlining once again the importance of African ownership which
should be adopted at the second EU-Africa Summit in the second half
of 2007 in Lisbon.
The European Commission has taken the strategy as the basis for
its programming of relevant aid instruments, which includes
allocating about €20 billion (US$25.8 billion) to sub-Saharan
Africa from the 10th European Development Fund between 2008 and
2013.
In the field of peace and security, the EU has allocated €350
million (US$452 million) to the African Peace Facility available
for the prevention, management and resolution of conflicts, in line
with a new EU concept for strengthening African capabilities in
these areas.
The EU has also given some €240 million(US$310 million) in
support of the AU Mission in Sudan, and allocated some €2.7 billion
(US$3.5 billion) between 2008 and 2013 to support good governance
globally. Finally, €5.6 billion (US$7.2 billion) has been allocated
in 2008-13 to support the proposed EU-Africa Partnership on
Infrastructure.
The EU recognizes and welcomes the significant bilateral
commitments made by China in parallel to Africa, most recently at
the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) summit which took place in Beijing in
November 2006. There is close and positive correlation on a number
of points between EU and Chinese strategies.
Increased economic cooperation and trade should have significant
benefits for Africa, and the commitment to double Chinese aid to
Africa by 2009 is welcome, together with commitments on debt
cancellation and tariff reductions and the high priority given to
environmental protection and sustainable development.
The EU recognizes the importance of China as an emerging donor
and will continue to work to support effective integration of China
into the international donor community, working together to achieve
the Millennium Development Goals and to implement the Paris
Declaration on Aid Effectiveness.
As concrete manifestations of our commitment, both China and
Africa are closely engaged with our African partners in helping to
resolve crisis situations on the continent. EU and Chinese soldiers
and experts have been deployed in support of UN and African-led
missions, most recently in Sudan (Darfur) and Congo.
The EU and its member states, together with China, have also
played a key role in leading the international response to these
and other African issues, most importantly in the United Nations.
China's place in the Security Council gives it significant
influence as well as responsibilities, and I welcome the role it
has played in seeking resolution of crisis situations in
Africa.
For the EU it is essential to empower and enable our African
partners to resolve these and other crises themselves. This is what
Africa wants and therefore what we want too. It is welcome and
important that China shares this aim.
The strengthening of the institutions and capabilities of the
African Union is of critical importance and, as can be seen from
the above, the EU has made a significant political and financial
commitment to deliver this objective, including through the funding
we are now providing through our African Peace Facility.
I welcome President Hu's commitment at the November FOCAC summit
to strengthen China's cooperation with the AU and to support the
AU's leading role in resolving African crisis situations.
Africa is an important focus for the EU's comprehensive
strategic partnership with China. The EU and China are both
committed to helping deliver peace, stability, development,
prosperity and good governance in Africa. I look forward to working
ever more closely with my Chinese colleagues in helping to address
these important challenges, in partnership with Africa.
The author is High Representative for the Common Foreign and
Security Policy of the European Union. This article was originally
published in English in China Review and in Chinese in China Youth
Daily. It is reprinted in agreement with Javier Solana, China
Review and China Youth Daily.
(China Daily February 7, 2007)
