China's Growing Military Footprint in Tanzania

 The US Army War College published on 9 October 2024 a paper titled "Peace and Unity: China's Growing Military Footprint in Tanzania" by Jake Vartanian.

The paper outlines the July/August 2024 Sino-Tanzanian exercise Peace Unity, which involved elements of the Tanzanian People's Defense Forces and the Mozambique Armed Forces in a land phase and a sea phase.  

The author concluded that the PLA has consolidated its military foothold in Tanzania, including a pro-PLA and pro-Chinese Communist Party sentiment through military aid and PLA-sponsored professional military education.  Tanzania also serves as an ideal proving ground for the PLA to execute military essential tasks in land operations and to test its joint expeditionary capabilities in an operational environment well beyond its borders.  

China Emphasizes Education for African Military Personnel

 The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published on 30 October 2023 an analysis titled "China's 'Military Political Work' and Professional Military Education in Africa" by Paul Nantulya.  

The People's Liberation Army's (PLA) service branches were educating about 2,000 African military officers annually at military and political academies prior to COVID-19.  At least 50 African countries participate regularly in Chinese professional military education (PME).  

African Union officials have repeatedly warned that it is a bad idea to invite military intervention in politics and to socialize militaries to serve the party in power.  Yet, this is the theory behind Chinese PME.  African students enrolled in Chinese military academies are exposed to China's worldviews and ways of doing things, including PLA strategic culture, how the Communist Party operates, and how it interacts with and controls China's armed forces.