China's Military Presence in Africa

Beijing’s Power Politics in Africa since the Cold War

May 24, 2009

The sale of arms constitutes a significant part of what is known today as Sino-African trade. How has this trade evolved since the Cold War?

China’s growing military presence in Africa is explained by a three main factors. The first is the need to protect her economic interests in the continent. Secondly, China’s status as a Security Council member obliges her to make contributions to UN peacekeeping missions in Africa. The third reason is China’s determination to counter U.S military presence in Africa. This is explained by the Beijing Consensus which China sees as an alternative to the Washington Consensus.

From Ideology to Pragmatism, China’s Military Commerce

Ideology was the overriding factor in China’s military relations with Africa during the Cold War. During this period, China offered military assistance in the form of equipment and training to liberation movements especially in Southern Africa. Southern Rhodesia is a case study in China’s assistance to liberation forces in Africa. China helped to train Zimbabwean guerrillas in the manner of a people’s army in their struggle against British colonial rule.

After the Cold War, however, China’s arms transactions became based purely on economic considerations. Towards the end of the 1980s, China had become the world’s fourth largest supplier of weapons to developing countries, with African countries counting among its regular buyers. Arms sales to Africa after this period constituted a large part of China’s trade with oil and mineral rich but repressive African regimes such as Zimbabwe, Sudan.

Western Sanctions Create Market for China’s Arms in Africa

To meet its oil and mineral needs, Beijing has consistently delivered arms to “pariah’ states in Africa especially those like Sudan and Zimbabwe which have come under western sanctions in the last decade. According to Peter Brookes of The Heritage Foundation, China sold Sudan $55 million worth of arms between 2003 and 2006, flouting UN arms embargo. It was with Chinese assistance that the Sudanese government constructed an arms factory in Khartoum recently.

When Zimbabwe came under western sanctions, its President Robert Mugabe turned east to China for military assistance. Faced with EU and U.S. embargo, Mugabe in 2004 bought fighter aircraft and military vehicles from China. The depth of the dubious military transactions between China and Mugabe was unveiled in the scandal involving a Chinese ship - An Yue Jiang, carrying weapons destined for Zimbabwe but were stopped in South Africa in April 2008.

Elsewhere in the continent, China has been implicated in the proliferation of arms in Africa. In 2003, several Hong Kong firms were accused of smuggling illegal arms including Chinese made AK-47s, machine guns and rocket propelled grenade launchers into Liberia, Sierra Leone and Ivory Coast where rebels and mercenaries were involved in civil wars. Many African governments also prefer Chinese arms because they are relatively cheaper than those from the West.

China’s Peacekeeping Operations in Africa

China’s membership in the Security Council of the UN has yielded enormous benefits for conflict-ravaged Africa. China is one of the leading contributors to many UN Peace keeping Operations (PKO) in Africa. These include MONUC – UN mission for D.R Congo, UNOC – UN mission in Cote d’ivoire, UNMIS - UN mission in Sudan and UNMIL – UN mission in Liberia. It is estimated that more than 5000 Chinese soldiers including PKO forces are currently deployed in Africa.

China has used its contribution to UN peacekeeping operations to dispel western accusations about arms transfers and rights abuses in Africa. This was particularly true in the months leading to the Beijing Olympic Games. China also pointed accusing fingers at Washington for selling more weapons to governments of the Third World.

Besides UN missions China continues to expand its network of military alliances with African countries at bilateral levels. “Its military to military contacts extend throughout the continent,” says Susan Puska, “reaching at least 43 countries to provide a network of military relations from which to shape its future role in Africa.”

Brookes, Peter and Ji Hye Shin. “China’s Influence in Africa, Implications for the United States,” The Heritage Foundation, N0 1916, February 22, 2006.

Fowale, Tongkeh. "Sifting the Good from the Bad: Sino – African Relations, a Balance Sheet." American Chronicle, March 20, 2008.

Puska, Susan. Military backs China’s Africa Adventure Asia Times, June 8, 2007.

The copyright of the article China's Military Presence in Africa in African History is owned by Tongkeh Joseph Fowale. Permission to republish China's Military Presence in Africa in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.