Aid to Africa: What can the EU and China Learn from Each Other?

This research paper by the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the differing aid policies of the European Union (EU) and China toward Africa. It analyzes the internal logic, principles, and modalities of each approach, arguing that while the two are often perceived as competing models, they may be complementary. The author suggests that mutual understanding and pragmatic, second-track cooperation can bridge the perception gap between the EU's focus on social infrastructure and governance and China's emphasis on economic infrastructure and non-interference.

• China and the EU apply fundamentally different principles to aid: China emphasizes 'co-operation' over 'aid', adhering to a 'win-win formula' and the principle that no political conditions should be attached to aid. In contrast, the EU views aid as a one-way instrument to promote sustainable development and good governance, utilizing conditionality and 'co-responsibility'.
• The EU's aid conditionality has evolved from economic focus in the 1980s to include political conditionality in the 1990s, now combining both. This includes 'country strategy papers' drafted primarily by the EU and 'governance incentive tranches' to promote democratic governance.
• China's 'no conditions attached' policy is based on the belief that all countries are equal and that political or economic reforms must be internally driven rather than externally imposed. However, China does use contracts for concessional aid that may require the use of Chinese project implementers or procurement from the Chinese market.
• There is a stark difference in aid priorities: the EU focuses on social infrastructure, particularly government institutional reform and civil society, while China prioritizes economic infrastructure. Of the 900 projects China has supported in Africa, 519 are focused on infrastructure support, with the power and transport sectors receiving the largest shares.
• The EU has shifted its aid modality from project-based support (1960–80) to programme support, and since 2000, toward budget support to foster 'ownership'. The EU aimed for half of its aid to be delivered via budget support by 2010.
• China utilizes a diversified set of instruments including grants, interest-free loans, and concessional loans. Concessional loans, granted exclusively via the Exim Bank, are a primary tool for filling Africa's infrastructure gap and are linked to China's demand for natural resources.
• A significant perception gap exists: the EU often views China's non-interference as supporting autocratic governments and undermining good governance, while China views EU conditionality as interference in internal affairs and a means of exporting a specific development model.
• Despite differences, there are 'crossing points' for cooperation. The EU has begun to recognize that democratic governance cannot be imposed from outside and has established an Infrastructure Trust Fund, which mirrors the function of Chinese concessional loans.
• The author recommends that China and the EU move past the perception of 'competing models' and initiate cooperation through pragmatic, second-track approaches, such as joint research programmes and official exchange programmes.

APA

Ling, J. (2010). Aid to Africa: What can the EU and China Learn from Each Other? South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Occasional-Paper-56.pdf

Chicago

Ling, Jin. Aid to Africa: What can the EU and China Learn from Each Other? South African Institute of International Affairs, 2010. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Occasional-Paper-56.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Ling |first1=Jin |title=Aid to Africa: What can the EU and China Learn from Each Other? |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=March 2010 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Occasional-Paper-56.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{ling2010aid, author = {Ling, Jin}, title = {{Aid to Africa: What can the EU and China Learn from Each Other?}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2010}, month = mar, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2010/03/Occasional-Paper-56.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }