China Expands Military Footprint in Africa

 The African Center for Strategic Studies published on 30 January 2026 a paper titled "China's Military Footprint in Africa Deepens with People's Liberation Army-led BRICS Naval Drills" by Paul Nantulya.  

The January 2026 BRICS Plus naval exercise in South African waters led by China's People's Liberation Army underscored Beijing's use of military power in Africa to advance Chinese geostrategic objectives.  China views BRICS Plus as part of an alternative global security and geopolitical architecture intended to counterbalance Western and US-led initiatives.  

Beijing has invested heavily in securing African participation in Chinese-led global initiatives to enhance its legitimacy, build regional voting blocs, and strengthen China's leverage amid global rivalries.  It accomplishes this through military exercises, naval port calls, creating security architecture, arms sales, and military training.

Kenya Balances Security Ties with US and China

 China-Africa Security Radar published on 16 November 2025 an article titled "Mombasa's Strategic Dilemma: Balancing Beijing's Warships and Washington's Partnership" by Paa Kwesi Wolseley Prah.  

The recent visit to the port of Mombasa by a PLA navy destroyer underscores Kenya's balancing of its close security relationship with the United States.  For Kenya, it also signals strategic autonomy and unwillingness to become any single power's client state.  

China's Anti-piracy Task Forces off Somalia Continue Even When Piracy Is Largely Over

 The South China Morning Post published on 26 October 2025 an article titled "Somali Piracy Has Waned, So Why Is China's Navy Still in the Gulf of Aden?" by Jevans Nyabiage.  

The Somali piracy problem largely ended in 2013, but the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) continues to send naval task forces on a regular basis to its naval base in Djibouti for patrolling in the Gulf of Aden.  

The reasons for continuing the task forces are clear.  The naval force for combatting a problem that mostly no longer exists provide a reason to show China's flag in the region, provide training for naval personnel in the far seas, and test ships and equipment under harsh climate conditions.  It helps the PLAN build its blue water navy.   

PLA Navy Steps Up Port Calls in South Africa

 Defence Web published on 30 September 2024 an article titled "Indian, Brazilian, and Chinese Warships Heading to South Africa" by Guy Martin.

The PLA Navy is sending its frigate CNS Xuchang to participate in the annual Navy Festival in Simons Town, South Africa, from 4-6 October.  The PLA Navy hospital ship, Peace Ark, made a weeklong visit to Cape Town in August.

The Navy Festival will be followed from 7-16 October by Exercise IBSAMAR, which involves naval vessels from South Africa, India, and Brazil off the Western Cape.  Exercise IBSAMAR debuted in 2008 as an alliance of three countries with democratic values, commercial interests, and maritime cooperation.  India is sending the stealth frigate INS Talwar to Exercise IBSAMAR.

Comment:  The juxtaposition of PLA and Indian naval vessels in South Africa one after the other underscores the naval competition between India and China in the Indian Ocean.  

Full Steam Ahead for Chinese Navy Port Calls in Africa

 The South China Morning Post published on 13 April 2024 an article titled "Chinese Navy Steers a Course for African Ports in Beijing's Renewed Diplomatic Push" by Jevans Nyabiage.  

Following a hiatus, except for regular port calls at its naval base in Djibouti, during COVID-19, China's Navy has resumed them in Africa.  The PLA Navy's most recent visits took place at ports in Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar.  

Chinese Navy Resumes Port Calls in West Africa after COVID-19 Hiatus

 Except for routine maintenance calls at its military base and dedicated port in Djibouti in connection with continuing task force operations in the Gulf of Aden, the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic all port calls in African waters.  The first PLAN port call in Africa after COVID-19 took place as a training exercise in February 2023 with South African and Russian navy ships off South Africa.

PLAN visits to other African ports resumed in June 2023.  Three ships--the destroyer Nanning, frigate Sanya, and supply ship Weishanhu--that had completed a tour in the Gulf of Aden continued to West Africa where they called at ports in Cote d'Ivoire, Ghana, Nigeria, and Gabon in June and July.  

China Military Online in an article dated 25 June 2023 and titled "43rd Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce Visits Cote d'Ivoire" by Tang Siyu and Wu Kangci reported the goodwill visit to Abidjan.  Ghana Business News in an article dated 3 July 2023 and titled "Ghana-China Relations Deepen with Visit of 43rd Chinese Naval Escort Task Group" reported the visit to Tema Port.  This Day in an article dated 2 July 2023 and titled "Three Chinese Navy Warships Visit Nigeria, Pledge Enhanced Maritime Security" by Chiemelie Ezeobi reported the visit to Lagos. China Military Online in an article dated 11 July 2023 and titled "43rd Chinese Naval Escort Taskforce Visits Gabon" by Tang Siyu and Wu Kangci reported the visit to Libreville.

Nigeria's Vanguard newspaper in an editorial dated 7 July 2023 titled "Chinese Navy's Curious Africa Tour" offered a commentary on the visits to West Africa.

After the above was posted, the ships continued to Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo, where they made a four day visit according to Xinhua on 17 July 2023 in an article titled "Chinese Navy's Visit Showcases Congo-China Friendship: Minister."

China's Security Presence in the Middle East and North Africa

 The Washington Institute for Near East Policy published in October 2022 a study titled "China's Security Presence in the Middle East: Redlines and Guidelines for the United States" by Grant Rumley.

China's security presence in the region comprises a traditional military footprint of naval deployments and exercises, arms sales, and critical infrastructure agreements.  China's base in Djibouti and its naval task force are the most prominent features of its military presence in the Middle East and North Africa.

China's Security Assistance in Africa

 The National Defense University just released a book titled The PLA Beyond Borders: Chinese Military Operations in Regional and Global Context.  It is available on line open access.  The book contains a comprehensive chapter titled "China's Security Assistance in Global Competition: The Case of Africa" by Jonah Victor, senior analyst at the U.S. Department of Defense and adjunct associate professor at Georgetown University.  

Is South Africa Aligning Militarily with China and Russia?

The Institute for Security Studies posted on 29 November 2019 a commentary titled "South Africa's Military Drills with Russia and China Raise Eyebrows" by Peter Fabricius.

South Africa just completed a naval exercise involving ships from China and Russia. This follows a visit to South Africa by two Russian supersonic Tupolev TU-160 Blackhawk bombers. The author asks if South Africa is switching its military allegiance from the West to China and Russia and seems to conclude this is premature. On the other hand, the Russian defense minister said the joint naval exercise demonstrates that the Russian fleet can act together with the Chinese anywhere in the world.

China/Russia/South Africa Naval Exercise

The ChinAfrica Project posted on 25 November 2019 a brief Q & A with me titled "Chinese and Russian Warships Are in South Africa for First-ever Naval Exercises. Should the U.S. Be Worried?"

China, Russia, and South Africa are engaged in a naval exercise off the South African coast. This is one more marker of South Africa's "Look East" policy. While it is good South African policy to have cordial relations with China, it would be useful to remember that the European Union and the the United States are still South Africa's most important economic partners. One wonders what would be the response of the South African government if the U.S. Navy proposed a joint or trilateral naval exercise with the South African Navy.

Chinese Military Diplomacy, 2003-2016

The National Defense University in Washington published in July 2017 a study titled "Chinese Military Diplomacy, 2003-2016: Trends and Implications" by Kenneth Allen, Phillip C. Saunders, and John Chen.

This is an excellent study of Chinese military exercises, naval port calls, and senior level military meetings between 2003 and 2016 with the rest of the world. While Africa constitutes only a small part of the study, it contains useful statistical information on the nature of China-Africa military interaction.