China Links Communist Party to China-Africa Cooperation

 Ethiopia's Capital published on 12 July 2026 an op-ed titled "A 105-year Journey of Struggle: The Code of China's Development and a New Chapter in China-Africa Cooperation" by Ambassador Jiang Feng, head of China's mission to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.  

The op-ed begins: "On July 1st, the Communist Party of China (CPC) marked the 105th anniversary of its founding.  For the Chinese people, it is an important occasion to reflect on the nation's journey of struggle and achievement while looking ahead to the bright prospects.  For our African friends who are interested in China's development, it also offers an important opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of the key to China's development."  

The op-ed continues to praise the progress made by the CPC and suggests that China's model of development offers lessons for African countries.

Comment:  The Mission of China to the African Union website posted the same op-ed on 7 July.  It is not clear if Capital published the op-ed because it considered the ambassador's remarks newsworthy or there was some other incentive.

Illegal Chinese Mining in Nigeria Results in Dustup with US

 China-Africa Security Radar published on 16 February 2026 an analysis titled "Beijing Rejects U.S. Allegations of Financing Terror in Nigeria's Illegal Mining Sector--The Reality Is More Complex."

Prominent Republican members of the US Congress have sponsored a bill that alleges Chinese individuals and companies involved in illegal mining pay "protection money" to Fulani militias and other armed groups to secure access to lithium and gold deposits.  The bill links these militias to terrorist violence that has impacted Nigerian Christian communities.

The Chinese embassy in Abuja issued a strongly worded statement refuting allegations that Chinese nationals are funding militant groups to gain access to minerals in Nigeria's Middle Belt and northwestern region.  

China-Africa Security Radar concludes that it is generally agreed there is illegal Chinese mining in Nigeria, but the culprits are pragmatically paying "rent" to armed groups to access the minerals.

Deeper China-Somalia Security Ties

 China-Africa Security Radar posted on 1 February 2026 a commentary titled "China and Somalia Signal Deeper Security Ties--but Agency Still Maters."

Ever since breakaway Somaliland exchanged liaison offices with Taiwan, China has been an outspoken supporter of Somalia's territorial integrity and taken increasing steps to expand its security relationship with Mogadishu.  

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.

China Offers Security Alternative to US in Africa and Arab World

 Modern Diplomacy published on 21 January 2026 a commentary titled "China Recalibrates Military Outreach, Strengthening Officer Training for Africa and the Arab States" by Nadia Helmy, Beni Suef University in Egypt.

The People's Liberation Army is working to shape the loyalties of future military elites in Africa and the Middle East by emphasizing military training to counter the role of the United States.  Its military base in Djibouti is an important part of this effort.

Analysis of China's Foreign Minister Visit to Africa

 The Development Watch Centre, an independent think tank in Uganda, published on 20 January 2026 an article titled "Making Sense of China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi's 2026 Tour of Africa" by Musanjufu Benjamin Kavubu.  

The visit of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to Africa reinforces Beijing's goal to be seen as an attractive and more reliable geopolitical and geoeconomic partner than is the case for the United States.  

African Analyst Sees China's Global Security Initiative as Too Ambiguous

 The China-Africa Security Radar posted on 4 January 2026 a commentary titled "Ambiguous by Design: China's Global Security Initiative and Africa's Security Dilemma" by Paa Kwesi Wolseley Prah.  

China's Global Security Initiative (GSI), now in its fourth year, offers a framework so ambiguous that it risks becoming what it claims to oppose -- another external power shaping African security on its own terms.  The GSI lacks clear implementation mechanisms, accountability structures, or frameworks addressing critical concerns about data sovereignty, surveillance technology governance, and whether security cooperation protects Chinese economic interests or addresses root causes of African instability.

China-Africa Cooperation in 2026

 China Africa News published on 1 January 2026 an article titled "What's at Stake in 2026 for AU-China Cooperation?" by Cremilda Macuacua.

People-to-people exchanges, and training programs will highlight China-Africa relations in 2026.  There will be a focus on health care, food security, rural development, and expanded trade.

China Takes Lead in African Digital Development

 South Africa's The Star published on 21 December 2025 an article titled "Empowering Africa: How China's Tech Cooperation Fuels Progress" by Gideon Chitanga.

The article argues that Chinese government and companies have become critical partners in the development of Africa's digital systems and information and communications technology.  For example, Huawei has constructed an estimated 70 percent of Africa's 4-G networks.

Africa Turns Increasingly to China's Global Security Initiative

 China-Africa Security Radar posted on 7 December 2025 an article titled "Africa Increasingly Aligning with China's Global Security Initiative."

Senior African Union officials are underscoring the strategic alignment of China's Global Security Initiative (GSI) with the doctrine of African solutions to African problems.  Africa has become a testing ground for GSI.

But there are drawbacks to the GSI.  For example, it lacks a clear operational definition, detailed criteria for participation, or concrete benchmarks for implementation.  

Chinese Companies Face Insurgencies in Africa's Sahel

 The Diplomat published on 20 November 2025 an article titled "China's Sahel Gamble Falters as Insurgencies Rage" by Robert Bociaga.

Chinese companies in Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have become targets of global terrorism putting at risk China's investment in the Sahel region.  

African Insurgencies Target Chinese Nationals

 NDTV posted on 24 November 2025 an article titled "China's Africa Gamble Turns Dangerous as Insurgencies Target Its Citizens."

Chinese nationals increasingly experience security issues in Africa, especially the Sahel region, as they expand their numbers and presence on the continent.

Chinese Gold Miners Warned in Central African Republic

 The China-Africa Security Radar posted on 22 November 2025 an article titled "'Mining Slave' Warning in CAR Sparks Fierce Debate among Chinese Netizens."

The Chinese embassy in Bangui, Central African Republic, issued a strong warning about the dangers facing Chinese nationals involved in gold mining.  This led to a vigorous internet debate among Chinese netizens as to how to respond to the warning.  

China's Foreign Police Training

 The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace published on 13 November 2025 a detailed study titled "China's Foreign Police Training: A Global Footprint" by Sheena Chestnut Greitens, Isaac B. Kardon, and Cameron Waltz.  

This carefully researched study notes that China's police training is one of the Global Security Initiative's most concrete deliverables and most measurable commitments.  Countries in Africa and China's neighbors in Central and Southeast Asia have been the most frequent participants of its police training activities.  

China Courts African Media and Think Tanks at Forum in South Africa

 Kenya's The Star published on 17 November 2025 an article titled "China-Africa Partnership Conference Highlights Cooperation toward Shared Global Governance."

South Africa hosted on 13-14 November the Global South Media and Think Tank Forum China-Africa Partnership Conference.  China's Xinhua News Agency, the African Union, and South Africa's Independent Media organized the event attended by more than 200 representatives from 160 media outlets, think tanks, and government organizations.  The primary theme was shaping global governance.  

Comment:  The Forum is another example of China's focus on soft power in Africa and especially support for African media and think tanks.  The Forum provides China an opportunity to promote its governance model in Africa and build a "China-Africa community with a shared future for the new era."  

China also promoted its four global initiatives dealing with development, security, civilization, and governance.  China International Television Corporation and the state policy bank China Africa Development Fund have a 20 percent stake in South Africa's Independent Media, one of the sponsors of the Forum.  

China Steps Up Engagement in Libya

 The Libya Tribune published on 27 August 2025 an article titled "China's New Expansion to North Africa" by Sema Kalayaloglu.

China is expanding its outreach to both the Tobruk and Tripoli administrations in Libya as the Trump administration shows little interest in the region.  China's support for rail development, solar power, and water treatment plants is evidence of this engagement.

Implementing China's Global Security Initiative in Africa

 The South China Morning Post published on 30 August 2025 an article titled "A New Model for Peace? China Takes Its Global Security Initiative to Africa" by Jevans Nyabiage.

Africa is a key testing area for China's Global Security Initiative (GSI), which is evolving from an ambiguous concept to concrete training and military and police assistance programs.  The GSI also encourages China's security model, which has the potential to entrench a politicized military.  

China, Safe Cities, and Security in Africa

 China-Africa Security Radar posted on 24 August 2025 an article titled "China's Recasting of Safe Cities in Africa."

A Chinese safe city project in Sierra Leone is being described as a "concrete measure to implement the Global Security Initiative (GSI)."  This raises questions as to how China defines security and views both GSI and safe cities in Africa. 

China's Approach to Counterterrorism in Africa

 The CTC Sentinel published in its August 2025 issue an article titled "Understanding China's New Counterterrorism Ambitions in Africa" by Jason Warner.

The author argues that despite ostensible rationales related to self-defense of economic interests and solidarity with African states, at its core, Beijing's primary motivations for entering the African counterterrorism space are to diversify its means of influence in Africa beyond its historical economics first approach.

Beijing likely believes it has a new genre of counterterrorism assistance--less kinetic, more economic, and rooted in equitable partnerships--that represents a fundamentally new and productive means of gaining influence in Africa.  

Africa and China's Global Security Initiative

The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published on 4 August 2025 a paper titled "Africa as a Testing Ground for China's Global Security Initiative" by Paul Nantulya. 

China's Global Security Initiative (GSI) is slowly taking on concrete structure.  GSI principles are designed to appeal to the Global South and are being integrated into the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation.  African governments also see GSI as another source of security assistance.