Publication

This paper argues that China’s security role in Africa has shifted and speculates on the opportunities the readjustment offers Europe. The text first overviews the seven policy adjustments China has made to implement its new role, including expanding its military-to-military ties, willingly facing off against non-traditional threats, and pursuing more robust diplomatic responses to regional crises. The second section then zeros in on China’s role in African peacekeeping operations, which is perhaps the most visible part of Beijing’s new approach. Section 3 looks at the reasons behind the Asian power’s revised foreign policy and what it means for its traditional emphasis on non-interference. Finally, the paper considers the difficulties that China's increasing security role in Africa will pose for itself, and describes how the EU might use the continent’s peacekeeping chores as a way to improve its security cooperation with the Asian giant.