European Union (EU)-China-Africa Triangular Cooperation under the Belt and Road Initiative: The Way Forward

The Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) offers a platform for trans-regional cooperation, connects Asia and Europe with Africa, strengthens European Union (EU)-China-Africa triangular cooperation and provides development opportunities for the African countries. In the region of Africa, Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is perceived as a mechanism for interregional dialogue with concrete results in the areas of peace, security, infrastructure, sustainable development and in assisting African states to achieve the SDG’s. The trilateral cooperation is enriched by the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) for a deeper economic integration and for promoting regional security in Africa.


Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is included into China
China's security engagement is motivated by the need to protect growing economic interests on the www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/uspa

China's Engagement with Africa under Belt and Road Initiative
Approximately 46% of the world's supply of manganese and 50% of the world's cobalt reserves are preserved in Sub-Saharan countries. For instance, it is notable that 50% of the world's cobalt reserves are in the African continent (Note 2). Chinese investments are also interested in coltan resources which are being used for production of electronics (Note 3).
China invested $72 billion in foreign direct investment in Africa between 2014 and 2018, followed by In the field of investments, there is an increase and diversification of Chinese investments in Sub Saharan countries (Note 5). Therefore, China is convinced that "Inadequate infrastructure is the biggest bottleneck to Africa's development", therefore, infrastructure and connectivity between urban and rural areas are being prioritized in the framework of China's Belt and Road Initiative (Note 6). Healthcare, education and sanitation infrastructure are also sectors that receive Chinese investments.  For instance, in Uganda China's grants tend to strengthen the relationship between the two countries building hospitals, government buildings and supporting various infrastructure projects hence the strengthening of China strengthens its political leverage in decision making.

European Union's Engagement with Africa
The European Union (EU) as a normative and civilian regional power provides a different growth model towards Africa underlying human rights, governance, accountability and civil law. The EU's development agenda is driven by security and migration concerns.
With regards to foreign aid, in the framework of the EU-ACP partnership, the European Union (EU) links aid and access to the EU's single market to cooperation in readmission programs for illegal migration and improvement in border controls. Dealing with the root causes of migration flows from Africa to Europe is a priority for the European Union. Supported by the EU External Investment Plan that promises up to €62 billion in private and public investments the EU trust fund provides additional financial resources. The success of the EU aid programs is highly depends on political stability, on good governance and the rule of law (Note 9). EU aid is based on grants and direct budgetary support, aims at poverty alleviation and targets soft sectors such as healthcare, education and governance.

European Union (EU)-China-Africa Trilateral Cooperation: The Way Forward
Chinese and EU aid programs have substantial differences; therefore, European Union (EU)-China-Africa trilateral cooperation is a multilateral response under the umbrella of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
More specifically, in the area of peace and security, European Union (EU), China and African Union (AU) coordinate support for peace-building missions, crisis prevention and post-conflict reconstruction under UN-mandate. Humanitarian cooperation is an opportunity for trilateral cooperation in practice.
Moreover, European Union (EU), China and African countries can work together on large infrastructure projects which link regional markets, such as roads, railways, ports, electricity and telecommunication networks as well as in the areas of agriculture and sustainable development.
The trilateral cooperation is pragmatic and allows African countries to strengthen relations with the European Union and China as well as to gain for the different growth model experiences of Europe and China. It is argued that the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is a multilateral platform that provides opportunities for China, European Union and Africa to cooperate in practice in a trilateral forum. The

Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) is in line with EU aid effectiveness agenda and in line with UN agenda
for "silence guns" and the achievement of SDGs. Although Chinese engagement with Africa diverges from the EU's engagement in several key regards there are also some areas of coordination between the two. This opens the door for strengthen trilateral; cooperation.

In terms of economic interests, both China and the European Union want to see a prosperous Africa,
stable and open to international business. From both business and humanitarian perspectives, economic growth and poverty reduction are important shared goals. More although there is competition between European and Chinese firms over government contracts and access to resources, the larger goal of economic growth is common.
In security sector, China and European Union share common security interests in Africa (Note 10).
Africa is strategically important to both China and the European Union and African countries play a key part in Belt and Road Initiative. It is therefore important for both China and the European Union (EU) to strengthen the capacity of African regional security bodies to react to a crisis. The Chinese and the Europeans make efforts to strengthen the Peace and Security Council (PSC), the organ of the African Union for conflict management and resolution.
The European Union (EU) continues strengthen the capacity of regional bodies for crisis response through financial, training and logistical support. However, despite similar positions towards the role of African regional bodies in conflict management, there is little or no cooperation or coordination between the European Union (EU) and China in this area, with both parties wanting their efforts to be seen as part of a wider interaction with Africa.
The European Union (EU) is a normative power that guides the African Union towards developing the capacity to respond to regional crises. China wishes to develop and long term policy in Africa. China is appeared to be an equal partner to Africa that protects the interests of developing nations. In this way, www.scholink.org/ojs/index.php/uspa Urban Studies and Public Administration Vol. 2, No. 4, 2019 230 Published by SCHOLINK INC.
China is intending to increase soft power in Africa. China has moved towards a flexible policy of interference, whereby China intervenes in the internal affairs of a state when such interventions have a UN mandate and threaten the sovereignty of a state.
Similarly, there is the need for both China and the European Union (EU) to focus on Africa's non-traditional security needs-for example, water and food security-to prevent further conflict on the continent. Both actors provide financial and technical support to African-led projects, such as the Comprehensive Africa Agriculture Development Program. The European Union (EU) and China made efforts for the capacity building of African states to respond to climate change, organized crime and water and food insecurity, through government aided bodies, NGO funding, state-owned enterprises or international organizations. However, with the African regional security bodies, cooperation between the European Union (EU) and China in non-traditional security is not efficient.
Europe can help Africa with its close historical, cultural and geographical ties to the continent; However, it is important for the European Union to accept diversity within global security governance.
It is noted that Europe's colonial past is also a huge barrier to cooperation. The European Union should also consider allowing member states that do not have a history of colonial rule in Africa to take the lead in cooperating with China and Africa.
There is the need for African countries to ensure strong governance, rule of law and vibrant civil societies to obtain better conditions from Chinese counterparts. In this context, the African Union should make efforts to reinforce local frameworks for environmental protection, labor laws and transparency for obtaining benefits from all foreign investors.

Conclusions
The European Union (EU)-China-Africa trilateral cooperation has vital importance. Despite the differences in development aid models, there are many prospects for the European Union (EU) China and Africa to positively coordinate for economic growth and stability in the African continent. The European Union (EU) and China should have a continued dialogue and agreements for further coordination of their activities on the ground in African countries. There is a need for mutual understanding of Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) activities in Africa. China has to reach out and coordinate with the European Union (EU) in major projects, to make development aid more effective, to increase efforts to achieve SDGs and sustainable development. Eventually, there is need for synergies with the African countries in order to be in line with African needs. In this context, it is necessary for both the European Union (EU) and China to recognize African Union's central role in summitswith Africa. The Belt and Road Initiative has the potential to be a platform for institutionalization of the European Union-China-Africa trilateral cooperation with substantial upgrade of the status of the African Union as coherent regional and international actor.