No African country has a China strategy despite the country being such an important export destination

Although the AU maintains diplomatic representation in key capitals such as Washington, Brussels, and Beijing, African diplomatic missions struggle to engage strategically and coherently, and so underperform. Washington and Brussels offer multiple entry points for engagement, through the diverse agencies of the US executive branch and the Congressional caucus and committee system, and the EU Council, Commission, and Parliament respectively. Such pluralism may not be climate and digitalisation. Without effective coordination, African countries are vulnerable to being outmanoeuvred in trade negotiations and in their engagement with partners.

In geo-economics and geo-politics, individual African countries lack the influence to achieve meaningful outcomes that impact their development prospects. They should work together. The AU Commission must be given a mandate, direction, and resources to secure outcomes that meet African aspirations.

David Luke is Professor of Practice and Strategic Director at the London School of Economics Firoz Lalji Institute for Africa, where he oversees the Africa Trade Programme. The article is an abridged version from How Africa Trade, of which he is the editor. The book is published by LSE Press and is freely available to read and download via Open Access publishing distribution. The link to download the book is here: https://doi.org/10.31389/lsepress.hat