Monday, July 9, 2018

China-Africa Military Ties

The Washington Post Monkey Cage posted on 6 July 2018 a commentary titled "China-Africa Military Ties Have Deepened. Here Are 4 Things To Know" by Lina Benabdallah, Wake Forest University.

The first China-Africa Defense and Security Forum organized by China's Ministry of National Defense is a sign of China's growing military ties with Africa. The author comments that the forum is an effort to solidify Beijing's role as provider of expertise and technical know-how in a wide variety of areas, including the defense and military arenas. She contrasts China's security approach to Africa with that of the United States and identifies four factors that help explain Beijing's defense strategy in Africa.

I would argue that the forum is also intended to improve security for China's personnel and interests in Africa and enhance the sale of its arms to Africa.