China’s expanding footprint in North Africa and the European Union’s geopolitical awakening

For years, the European Union (EU) has sought to portray itself as a normative ‘force for good’ in the world. With the rise of China, the international environment is changing and elements of rivalry are sharpening. As a response, the EU’s leadership has promised to make the EU a geopolitical actor that would be more assertive in pursuing its own strategic interests. Taking the example of China’s expanding footprint in North Africa, this article examines the EU’s changing role in the region. By applying role theory and interactionism to the analysis, the article offers a better understanding of the European response to China’s strategic emergence in North Africa and the EU’s gradual transformation from a normative power into geopolitical actor in the region.