Analysis of Impact of Houthi Attacks on Red Sea Shipping

 The Atlantic Council published on 9 August 2024 a report titled "What Attacks on Shipping Mean for the Global Maritime Order" by Elisabeth Braw.

This report discusses the history of attacks on shipping, the rules implemented to keep shipping safe, and the new and serious threat posed by Houthi attacks.  The focus of the report is on the current Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

US Attacks Major Chinese Infrastructure Company Active in Africa

 Global Construction Review published on 28 August 2020 an article titled "Washington Launches Stinging Attack on CCCC - But How Successful Will It Be?" by David Rogers.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo launched a verbal assault on China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) and several of its subsidiaries for their work in creating artificial islands in disputed areas of the South China Sea as well as their role in the Belt and Road Initiative.  The United States encouraged countries around the world to reconsider business deals with these "predatory Chinese state-owned enterprises." 

CCCC is the parent organization of many companies that have built numerous infrastructure projects in Africa such as China Harbor  Engineering Co. and China Road and Bridge Corporation. Washington's request is likely to fall on deaf ears in Africa.  

African Support for China's Core Principles

The Spring 2020 issue of Orbis contains an article titled "Evolving Principles and Guiding Concepts: How China Gains African Support for its Core National Interests" by me and Josh Eisenman. This link only offers the abstract. Until I can figure out how to load the sharing mechanism and if you want a PDF copy of the entire article, please send an email to dhshinn@earthlink.net.

Under Xi Jinping, China has packaged its policies using two interrelated guiding concepts, the "Chinese Dream" and "The Community of Shared Future." These concepts represent the conceptual framework that China has created to engage African and other countries as it expands its diplomatic, economic, and security interaction with Africa. Beijing has successfully obtained African support or, at least, acquiescence for its core national interests: Taiwan, Tibet, the mistreatment of Muslim minorities, human rights, South China Sea, and Hong Kong.

Podcast on China's Political and Security Relations with Africa

ChinaPower posted on 26 February 2020 a 26 minute podcast titled "China's Increasing Engagement with Africa: A Conversation with Joshua Eisenman" hosted by Bonnie Glaser of the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

The focus of the discussion is China's political and security relationship with Africa rather than the more widely covered economic issues. The podcast is also a precursor to a book we are doing on the China-Africa relationship. A small part of our research is being published in the next issue of Orbis: FPRI's Journal of World Affairs.

Maritime Silk Road

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute published on September 2018 a report titled "The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road: Security Implications and Ways Forward for the European Union" by Richard Ghiasy, Fei Su, and Lora Saalman.

This is an analysis of the sea-based component of China's Belt and Road Initiative. It examines the security implications in the two strategic maritime spaces that it crosses: the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean region.

Security Implications of the Maritime Silk Road

The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) published in September 2018 a study titled "The 21st Century Maritime Silk Road: Security Implications and Ways Forward for the European Union" by Richard Ghiasy, Fei Su, and Lora Saalman, all at SIPRI.

This policy report presents an analysis of the security implications of the sea-based component of the Belt and Road Initiative, the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road. It examines the security implications of the maritime spaces that it crosses: the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean region. It gives special consideration to how the Silk Road security implications might affect the interests of the European Union.

China: A Global Security Power?

World Politics Review published on 9 May 2017 an analysis titled "Does China Have What It Takes to Become a Global Security Power?" by Richard A. Bitzinger, Nanyang Technological University.

The author comments on the recent buildup of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) and notes that it is in the Indian Ocean where China has established its first overseas base--Djibouti--and where its footprint has been most significant. At the same time, the PLAN is not a blue-water navy in the strictest sense. It has a long way to go before it can create a sustainable open-ocean power-projection capability and its footprint will likely remain confined to the Western Pacific and parts of the Indian Ocean region.

Chinese and American Military Facilities in Djibouti

The New York Times published on 25 February 2017 an article titled "U.S. Wary of Its New Neighbor in Djibouti: A Chinese Naval Base" by Andrew Jacobs and Jane Perlez.

According to the article, China is constructing a 90-acre base designed to house up to several thousand troops and will include storage structures for weapons, repair facilities for ships and helicopters, and five berths for commercial ships and one for military vessels. China states the main purpose of the facility is to support its anti-piracy efforts in the Gulf of Aden and its forces assigned to UN peacekeeping operations in Africa.

Africa and South China Sea Dispute

Last July the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague ruled in favor of the Philippines that China's claims in the South China Sea have no legal or historical basis. China has been waging a global campaign to obtain international support for its position in the South China Sea. Much of the information on the position of various countries is confusing. The Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies established the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative to track responses on the South China Sea dispute.

African countries are a long way from the South China Sea and seemingly have little to gain by being drawn into this dispute. Indeed, most African countries have remained aloof. On the other hand, China has growing influence in Africa and certainly pressured African governments to support its position. Prior to the South China Sea arbitration ruling, 16 African governments (out of 54) supported China's position that the Arbitral Tribunal is illegitimate. The 16 countries were: Algeria, Comoro Islands, Djibouti, Egypt, Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Niger, Somalia, Sudan, Togo, and Tunisia. Except for Gambia, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Niger, and Togo, the other countries supported China as members of the League of Arab States and the joint Doha Declaration.

Since the announcement of the arbitration ruling, the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative reports that so far only Sudan in Africa has joined with China in publicly opposing the ruling. Algeria issued a neutral statement without addressing the ruling. Other African governments have publicly remained silent.

The following African countries have not publicly confirmed China's claim of support: Angola, Benin, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, DRC, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mozambique, Republic of Congo, Sierra Leone, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Can Japan Challenge China in Africa?

The Diplomat published on 16 September 2016 a commentary titled "Can Japan Challenge China in Africa?" by Jonathan Connars, an American investment risk analyst.

He concludes that if Japan wishes to challenge China's dominance in Africa, it has an uphill battle ahead of it. The article states that "no less than 39 African countries publicly opposed a recent ruling from The Hague declaring China's maritime claims in the South China Sea illegal" in an effort to underscore the weakness of Japan's support in Africa. The Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative, which tracks positions on the South China Sea dispute, reports that so far only Sudan in Africa has publicly aligned itself with China in opposing the ruling from The Hague. Algeria made a neutral statement without addressing the ruling.

China, Philippines, Africa and Dispute Settlement

The Philippines-based Center for International Relations and Strategic Studies published in June 2016 a study titled "China Could and Should Learn a Lesson or Two from Africa in the Area of Peaceful Dispute Settlement" by Alfredo C. Robles, Jr., former professor at De La Salle University in Manila.

The author notes that China is seeking African support for its South China Sea dispute with the Philippines and suggests China would be better advised to follow the lead of many African countries that have submited their disputes for settlement to the International Court of Justice.

China's Maritime Silk Road

Maritime Affairs published in 2015 an article titled "China's 21st Century Maritime Silk Road Initiative, Energy Security and SLOC Access" by Christopher Len, National University of Singapore.

The article discusses Beijing's latest attempts to secure China's energy supply across the Indian Ocean region and the South China Sea through which the majority of its seaborne energy imports transit.  The author argues that China's maritime agenda will be hampered by the strategic distrust and political risks China faces in the Asian region.  The article is available on open access. 

10 Conflicts to Watch in 2016: 4 in Africa

Foreign Policy published on 3 January 2016 an article titled "10 Conflicts to Watch in 2016" by Jean-Marie  Guehenno.  Four of the 10 conflicts are in Africa: Libya, Lake Chad Basin, South Sudan, and Burundi.