Growing China’s Influence in Africa

In the past decade the world has seen Chinese investments in Africa across various sectors but for the first time China is involving in the security sector in Africa.
This has raised apprehensions regarding the Chinese intentions in the region specially after its conference on the China – Horn of Africa peace agreement.

The Chinese presence in Africa is seen in four major areas, they are:

The African Union’s $200 million Addis Abeba headquarters was one of its hallmark initiatives.
The Addis-Djibouti railway line, which will link the landlocked nation with Eritrean ports in the Red Sea, has also seen major investment.
The Mombasa-Nairobi rail link in Kenya is another project in which China has invested, and it has previously completed railroad projects in Sudan.
Additionally, it has a healthy market for military equipment in Ethiopia and has completed more than 80 infrastructure projects there, including hospitals, roads, schools, and stadiums.
China is funding 14 infrastructure projects in Djibouti.

Ethiopia is one of the top five African countries receiving Chinese investments in terms of financial aid, yet it also owes close to $14 billion in debt. 67 percent of Kenya’s bilateral debt is with China.
China pledged to help Eritrea out with $15.7 million in 2022.

The availability of natural resources like coal and oil is the third main reason why China is interested in Africa.
The oil terminal in Mombasa has received $400 million from Beijing. Additionally, Ethiopian materials like gold, iron ore, precious stones, chemicals, oil, and natural gas are of interest to China.
Since Beijing’s initial involvement into the petroleum business in 1995, South Sudan, a source of petroleum products, has seen ongoing investment from Beijing.

Interests in the maritime sector make up the fourth important area. Djibouti is home to China’s sole military outpost outside of its continental territory.
The United States has conjectured that China wants to expand its military footprint in the region by constructing another military base in Kenya or Tanzania.

Africa has been eager to communicate with China. The governments of Africa have generally welcomed China’s projects despite the suspicion that surrounds them.
In November 2020, when fighting broke out in Tigray, Beijing earned praise from Addis Abeba for upholding Ethiopia’s sovereignty.
Kenya supported Chinese investments in the nation in December 2021; President Uhuru Kenyatta insisted that the China-Africa alliance was mutually beneficial.

Source The Hindu

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