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New Delhi [India] On December 20, African countries are becoming new battlefields for China-Russia contests. It was reported that although China’s influence in African countries is still strong, the latter still rely on Russia militarily. aid, despite the ongoing military conflict in Ukraine.
“Geopolitics” reported that the 2019 Russia-Africa summit resulted in contracts to supply military weapons and equipment to more than 30 African countries. Businesses, including state-backed business interests, have invested heavily in the security sector, technology and industries that extract natural resources such as oil, gas, gold and other minerals.
According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, Russia provided 44% of arms imports to African countries between 2017 and 2021. The report further stated that many West African leaders gained a foothold thanks to the support of Wanger Group mercenaries. Russian private security companies and many other African countries depend on Russia for most of their fertilizer imports. According to Geopolitik, all of this helps to build economic and military relations between Russia and African countries.
In response to this situation, China has concentrated its efforts on establishing a military presence in African countries, especially trying to gain access to the continent’s arms market. Nigeria is the latest beneficiary of Chinese military aid, Geopolitik reported. In October, the Nigerian Navy received a patrol boat and some other military equipment from China to combat maritime crime in the Gulf of Guinea.
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CHEC has also built the Lekki Deep Sea Port, one of the largest ports in West Africa, capable of handling 1.2 million containers per year. It will serve as a new maritime logistics hub for the entire region, unlocking another wave of investment opportunities between China and Africa.
Defense assistance has been provided to the Sahel, the Horn of Africa and the Gulf of Guinea, while countries such as the Central African Republic and Namibia have also received police equipment. So, in geopolitical terms, critical infrastructure including oil and gas, railways, and airports are already in Chinese hands, which is why it is not difficult for China to enter the African military market.
This renewed Chinese interest in African countries is also intended to counter and challenge the hegemony of the United States in the region. The US already has 29 known military installations in 15 countries, while China has just established its first military base in Africa in Djibouti, which is run by the People’s Liberation Army. (Arnie)
(This is an unedited and auto-generated story from a Syndicated News feed, the content body may not have been modified or edited by LatestLY staff)
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