ABSTRACT
The EU was the first global player who tried to come to terms with the 'new kid on the block' realized that in many areas, China, the EU and Africa's interests overlap and that the opportunities provided by China could complement its own Africa initiatives, whereas differences addressed through dialogue. China was largely conceived as a monolithic, strategic and powerful actor, while Africans were lumped together in the role of victim. Emboldened by Western criticism of China, African leaders hoped to forge a political alliance with China to promote fairer globalization through enhanced South-South cooperation. In fact, China's influence in Africa grew with its Gross Domestic Product (GDP), trade and overseas investment figures, not as a deliberate strategy to diminish Western influence, which was what some African leaders tried to use the new partner. In Africa, China's rhetoric, lack of accountability and transparency and the confusion surrounding the mixing of business practices with solidarity or aid created an expectation gap.
