A senior German development official cautioned in November 2006 that African nations could lose sovereignty to China if they failed to pursue democratic reforms alongside expanding trade ties with Beijing. Parliamentary State Secretary Karin Kortmann said stronger governance was the only real protection for poorer African states.
Kortmann spoke at a Berlin conference on future EU-Africa relations, where Germany outlined plans to prioritize Africa during its EU presidency in the first half of 2007. Germany will also host the Group of Eight summit that year.
She argued that the EU and China hold significantly different views on sustainable development, making deeper dialogue between the two powers essential. Good governance, she said, must emerge from within countries themselves, with the EU offering benchmarks and counsel rather than imposed mandates.
Earlier in November, China signed trade agreements worth roughly 1.5 billion euros with African nations, attaching no conditions related to democracy or human rights. European officials worried this approach could erode the EU's influence on the continent and weaken international governance standards.
Meanwhile, global donors pledged to respect African nations' own development priorities rather than dictating terms, while EU and World Bank officials said China should be welcomed as a development partner, provided donor competition does not slow the fight against poverty.
Historical summary. TurkishPress restated this wire report, first published in November 2006, in its own words.