5. The Rise of China in Africa and the Response of the EU: The EU-China-Africa Trilateral Dialogue and Cooperation Initiative

This chapter focuses on the EU’s reaction to the rise of China in Africa via the EU-China-Africa trilateral cooperation initiative. It specifically looks at the emergence of the EU’s perception of a “China in Africa” policy issue, its policy responses, and its implementation of these policy options. The analysis will evaluate whether the BPM, neorealist, or institutionalist model best fits issue identification, decision-making, and policy implementation. The concluding section summarizes the main findings and expounds on their relevance. To preview my findings, we saw elements of the BPM in the issue identification and decision-making stages. When key bureaucratic actors left, the policy implementation reflected this. Regarding neorealism, the member states were supportive of the trilateral initiative, which created an environment in which the Commission could launch its initiative. Neoliberal institutions illuminate all stages.