A number of member states are resisting signing onto a European Union strategy to respond to China’s clout in Africa before a high-profile summit later this month, according to EU officials familiar with the discussions.
With the backing of French President Emmanuel Macron, who holds the EU’s rotating presidency until June, the European Commission is trying to persuade members to coordinate 20 billion euros ($22.3 billion) of EU and member states’ public investment that is channeled to Africa each year. The EU’s executive arm is aiming to have an agreement in place in time for a gathering with African leaders that begins in Brussels on Feb. 17.
