The French president views African development as key to France's global ambition.
French President Emmanuel Macron embarked on a four-day charm offensive across the Horn of Africa last week, stopping off in Djibouti, Ethiopia, and Kenya. The trip is largely seen as a bid to cement new ties in a region where China's influence has been growing fast.
"The intent is indeed to open a new partnership in economy," Macron said in a joint press conference with Kenyatta on Wednesday."Now what we want to do, especially with our delegation of companies, is to be part of your new growth agenda…This is how France could be a long term, credible economic partner," he added.
"France has been competing with China across Africa now for a while", Jean-Pierre Cabestan, Director of the Department of Government and International Studies at Hong Kong Baptist University, told CNBC on Thursday. The same report claimed that the number of Chinese firms in Africa is two to nine times the official count.
Macron had decided early on to place Africa as a top priority, a directive he clearly gave to France's 170 ambassadors in his first foreign policy address in 2017.Macron has wasted no time in implementing his plan. He swiftly launched the first ever Presidential Council for Africa, his very own advisory squad on France-Africa relations, and actioned his charm offensive blueprint with an initial trip to West Africa in July, and now East Africa.
In the first instance, it appears China's approach to doing business with Africa has quietly shifted. Breaking with a tradition of doubling up, China announced in August that it would not be expanding its financial commitment to the region. Beijing's financial pledge would instead cautiously remain at its previous level of $60 billion in 2015, perhaps a symptom of the Chinese economic slowdown.
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