China's Africa policy has affected the EU's relations with China and Africa. In response, the EU proposed trilateral cooperation to focus on synergies of the EU's and China's contribution to Africa's development. This study conceptualises from an IR perspective this triangular relationship beyond well-known empirical or economic approaches to China's Africa policy. It looks at what kind of actor China is in Africa, and whether China is in Africa because it is strong or weak and what the trilateral approach of the EU implies for Africa as a player in international relations.La politique africaine de la Chine n'est pas sans incidence sur les relations de l'UE tant avec la Chine qu'avec l'Afrique. Par conse´quenti UE a propose´une coope´ration trilate´rale afin de de´gager les synergies entre les contributions potentielles respectives de l'UE et de la Chine au de´veloppement des pays africains. Cet article adopte une perspective de relations internationales afin de caracte´riser ce rapport triangulaire au-dela`de ce que proposent des approches empiriques ou e´conomiques bien connues. Il se penche en particulier sur la Chine en tant qu'acteur en Afrique. L'anteur se demande si la Chine est en Afrique parce qu'elle est forte ou faible, etil examine l'impact de l'approche trilate´rale de l'UE sur l'Afrique en tant qu'acteur sur la sce`ne internationale.
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