China at Europe's Southern Doorstep: Will China's Belt and Road Initiatives Change the Democratic Landscape that the EU Has Been Developing in Africa?

China at Europe's Southern Doorstep: Will China's Belt and Road Initiatives Change the Democratic Landscape that the EU Has Been Developing in Africa?

This paper explores the relationships that China maintains with states in and around the Horn of Africa region. In these relationships, China’s new global project, the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), is used to understand the social, political, and economic outcome of countries that opt to partner with the Asian power. Using Ethiopia, Kenya, Sudan, and Uganda as separate case studies, the positives and negatives of cooperation become easier understand. The results vary, as the political and economic stability varies in each country, as does cooperation with China predates the BRI’s 2013 start date. The results present that of the possible benefits as China offers a reasonable and attractive alternative to the aid and agreements posited by liberal democracies. Yet, while China offers economic growth and limited security, it finds difficulty in appealing to the locals and workers. Hence, this paper shows that China’s overall approach is self-centered and economic driven, which opposes the priorities that the European Union has been attempting establish with its southern neighbors. However, while the Chinese do not export authoritarian practices or self-interest in its partners, it does little to reinforce the democratic institutions in Africa. Instead the BRI seems like a political tool in proving that economic development and political stability are independent of democratic strength.