China Brief published on 31 March 2023 an article titled "Central African Republic Mine Attack: Can China Protect Its Overseas Nationals?" by John S. Van Oudenaren.
On March 19, gunmen attacked miners at a gold mine in the Central African Republic, killing 9 Chinese workers. The author asks if China has the capacity to protect its nationals in dangerous parts of the world. The People's Liberation Army still has limited capacity to conduct complex, joint operations in regions far beyond East Asia. A growing number of Chinese private security companies have begun operating abroad but have not yet proved to be the solution.
Comment: Two weeks after the incident in the CAR, China evacuated 80 Chinese nationals from the country.
