China-Africa Security Radar posted on 2 December 2025 a commentary titled "PLA Navy's 48th Escort Group: Routine Rotation or Strategic Inflection Point?" by Paa Kwesi Wolseley Prah.
The author argues that the deployment of the PLA Navy's 48th Escort Group to the Gulf of Aden occurs against declining American influence across Africa and represents an incremental step in China's transformation into a comprehensive security actor across Africa.
