EU, China should build on complementarity in Africa

The European union   (EU) and China should not be competitors in Africa but should build on their complementarity, according to European Commissioner for International Cooperation and Development Neven Mimica.

In a recent written interview with Xinhua, Mimica said that the EU stood ready to work constructively with Chinese partners in fields such as infrastructure investments.

FIND BETTER WAYS TO WORK ON GLOBAL DEVELOPMENT

As strategic partners who will celebrate the 40th anniversary of their diplomatic relations next year, the EU and China must find better ways to work together on global development challenges in Africa and beyond, said Mimica.

For the EU's part, the EU "has longstanding relations with Africa, based on comprehensive political dialogue and far-reaching trade and economic relations," he said.

"The EU remains one of the most open markets for African products and further integration between our respective markets will hopefully be achieved through the Economic Partnership Agreements that we have been negotiating with the different African regions so far," he said, noting that the EU also needed to help Africa to take better advantage of these market access opportunities, which meant doing more to enhance its capacity to produce and trade.

He said the EU needed to better focus EU development cooperation instruments on building sound regulatory environments, supporting business development and making sure that there is better access to finance, and it would be especially important for job-creating micro, small and medium sized businesses.

Besides, as more infrastructure investments are also needed in Africa, the EU "will use our blending instrument more actively, combining EU grants (from the Commission) with loans from public and, more recently, where relevant, private financiers," said Mimica.

Mimica paid a three-day visit to China in November as the first commissioner to travel to China in Jean-Claude Juncker's commission.

Recalling the visit, Mimica said "as I discussed with my Chinese counterparts, we stand ready to work constructively with Chinese partners in those fields, building on our respective strengths and comparative advantages."

For that matter the EU and China could start sharing information, comparing their respective strategies at country and regional level and looking for synergies, he said.

CONVERGENCE BETWEEN RESPECTIVE POLICY OBJECTIVES

Mimica said the primary objective of his mission to China was to "come to a better understanding of our respective positions on global and regional development challenges and processes and move towards closer relations in the future on those issues."

"While perspectives may sometimes differ, the EU and China share significant common ground and by working together, they can play an active and positive role in the negotiations leading up to the September UN summit," he said.

World leaders are expected to adopt a post-2015 development agenda following the 2015 deadline for the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).

The EU and China can also learn a lot from each other's development policy thinking and experience, Mimica said, noting that his interlocutors in China agreed that "there is a lot of convergence between our respective policy objectives, for example our common focus on poverty reduction, social protection, infrastructure, environment, energy and natural resources."

At the same time, Mimica did not deny that "some misunderstandings still prevail on both sides on the exact nature and modalities of our foreign aid instruments."

Therefore, he said in this context, the two sides very openly discussed how to enhance dialogue and consultation during his China visit.

"In Africa and beyond, better dialogue and learning from each other will help us to find better ways to cooperate with each other and ultimately improve our global impact for the benefit of poorer countries," he said.

EBOLA IMPACT TO BE FELT FOR YEARS

Mimica also said that Ebola's impact will be felt for years and "this is where development programs, of the EU, China and others, with partner countries in the region will come into play."

In this context, the EU is committed to working with key development partners such as China and to discussing, under the leadership of the partner countries, robust plans to strengthen health systems, as well as the wider domestic needs in the recovery phase, after the crisis, he said.

"I am confident that through such coordination we can identify potential synergies between the field activities of the EU and China and develop them in the interests of our partner countries," said Mimica.

Mimica took office on Nov. 1, and his previous role is the commissioner for consumer policy in the previous Commission.

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