China’s Africa infrastructure ‘quad’ idea for France, Germany ‘doomed to fail’

Name: Laos takes delivery of train as new China-funded Belt and Road railway nears completion
Uploaded: 2021-10-22T13:30:22.000Z
Duration: 1 min 5 s
Description: Laos takes delivery of train as new China-funded Belt and Road railway nears completion

Governmental cooperation suggested by President Xi Jinping faces obstacles, according to Johns Hopkins University researchers

Companies from the three nations do cooperate, but past attempts to formalise ties suggest Xi’s idea will not proceed, they say

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The so-called quad idea was raised in July during a virtual meeting between Xi Jinping, Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron. Photo: Xinhua

Jevans Nyabiage

Published: 9:30pm, 22 Oct 2021Updated: 10:49pm, 22 Oct 2021

Chinese President Xi Jinping’s proposal for France and Germany to join a “quad” to develop Africa may not work, scholars have said.

But German and French companies will always find ways of working with those from China in Africa even without the backing of their governments, they added.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) said that official cooperation between the countries to build infrastructure in Africa would not work any time soon, with past efforts suggesting it was “doomed to fail”.

In July, during an online meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and outgoing German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Xi said he welcomed European investment in Africa and invited them to join the Initiative on Partnership for Africa’s Development, which is spearheaded by China.

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Laos takes delivery of train as new China-funded Belt and Road railway nears completion

Xi proposed that the three countries work together on infrastructure projects in Africa through Beijing’s transcontinental infrastructure strategy the Belt and Road Initiative “to create more opportunities for common development”.