W. Gyude Moore

On February 20, 2025, Global Neighbours hosted W. Gyude Moore, former Liberian Minister of Public Works and Global Neighbours Inaugural Visiting Fellow, for a high-level discussion on Europe’s role amid China’s growing influence in Africa. The event concluded Moore’s six-week fellowship and gathered leaders from politics, business, diplomacy and academia.

Moore reflected on the 2025 Munich Security Conference, calling it a turning point in global affairs. He noted Europe’s struggle to define its role in a competitive world, arguing that Africa should be viewed as part of the solution, not merely a challenge. He highlighted China’s deepening engagement in Africa through large-scale investments and summits like the Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), contrasting it with Europe’s reluctance to fund infrastructure. Despite European criticism of China’s lending practices, Europe has failed to offer viable financial alternatives, leaving African nations with few options. Moore emphasized Africa’s growing economic agency, citing Morocco’s automotive industry and Kenya’s special economic zones. Yet, challenges such as energy shortages persist. He noted Europe could support African industrialization but lags behind China’s commitment. Addressing global economic shifts, Moore warned that China, projected to account for 45% of global manufacturing by 2030, is outcompeting Europe, even within its own markets. Without a strategic response, Europe risks falling behind in critical industries, especially since demographic change is already noticeably adding to the already existing crisis of skilled labor shortage.

During the Q&A, Moore urged Europe to move beyond rhetoric and engage Africa as an equal partner. Reflecting on Europe’s broader strategic inertia, he noted that the continent has repeatedly seen geopolitical crises as moments for reassessment, only to hit the ‘snooze button’ instead of taking decisive action. With Africa projected to account for a quarter of the world’s population by 2050, Europe’s future will be shaped by how it engages with the continent today.

This event underscored Global Neighbours’ role as a platform for shaping critical debates on global policy and international cooperation. By bringing together high-level stakeholders, Global Neighbours continues to provide a space where different perspectives, including those from emerging markets, are heard and engaged with on equal footing.

Organizer: Global Neighbours GmbH/e.V.
Guest Speaker: Gyude Moore, Global Neighbours’ First Inaugural Visiting Fellow
Date & Location: February 20, 2025, “Am Hof 8” in Vienna

Images: Oleksii – stock.adobe.com / Global Neighbours