Denmark is losing its influence on the African continent to China, says Danish Foreign Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen in an interview with Politiken. The Danish Government wants its new Africa-strategy to attract more African students to compete with China, who is spreading its influence widely on the African continent.
According to the Danish Foreign minister, thousands of African students are already studying in China, and even more are learning Chinese in Chinese institutions in Ghana. He stresses that Denmark and Europe should do the same to compete with China and not lose the international position that Denmark has.
“This is not about altruism or charity. For me, it’s about protecting clear Danish interests. Europe is shrinking—in terms of population and our relative share of the global economy. As a result, we risk losing influence as well”, says The Danish Foreign Minister.
