PhD defence Manling Yang

Keywords: China, The European Union, Development cooperation, Africa

"Engaged in Diversity: Comparing development cooperation of China and the European Union with Africa in the 21st century"

This thesis examines how China and the European Union (EU), two major partners of Africa, have approached development cooperation with the continent since the beginning of the twenty-first century. It asks whether their approaches have become more similar or remained different, why these changes have occurred, and how they are reflected in practice. The thesis compares China and the EU across three areas: how they describe their relationships with Africa, how they distribute development finance across African countries, and how they support renewable energy development. The findings show a complex picture. China and the EU continue to differ because of their distinct histories, institutions, and ways of working, but they have also become more similar in some areas as both respond to changing global conditions and African development priorities. Rather than following two fixed and opposing models, their approaches are continuously evolving, combining both similarities and differences.

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