Total Defense Research Institute, 05 June 2024
STOCKHOLM - China has long prioritized its relationship with Africa, and China's trade with and investments in the continent are well known. A less explored area is China's security engagement, which has increased over the past twenty years. In a new memo, the Africa Project provides an overview of how China's security commitment manifests itself and how it forms a central part of China's great power ambitions. The memo analyzes three aspects of China's security engagement in Africa. The first is China's security support, in the form of education and training for African security forces. The other is the Chinese arms trade. The third is Chinese private security actors which are a marginal but growing phenomenon. Together, they highlight how China's security engagement in Africa is driven by a mix of economic, political and military interests.
The memo is part of a series on the influence of external actors in Africa, a continent that is increasingly attracting the interest of major powers.
