China Rejects US Claims of Military Expansion in Africa, Citing Cooperation and Peacekeeping Efforts

According to US media reports, some members of the US Senate Armed Services Committee have again expressed concerns about China's influence in Africa. Chinese military and geopolitical experts view this rhetoric as unfounded, emphasizing that China has never sought to establish a military presence on the continent. They argue that the US narrative of a growing Chinese military presence is a fabrication, designed to justify its own military involvement in Africa.

During a recent hearing, Committee chairman Roger Wicker stated that Africa is becoming a focal point of great-power competition, with increased activity from China, which he claimed is expanding its military footprint and destabilizing the continent through disinformation. However, Chinese experts counter that their activities are conducted at the invitation of African nations, focusing on counterterrorism efforts and strengthening national defense capabilities.

China's military-related activities in Africa are undertaken to fulfill international responsibilities and help maintain regional security. These activities are fundamentally different from those of countries like the US, which maintains overseas bases primarily for military objectives. China's support base in Djibouti, for example, is intended to safeguard sea lanes and support regional peace, as well as facilitate Chinese participation in UN peacekeeping missions.

China has been strengthening its cooperation with Africa in investment, financing, and infrastructure development, extending this collaboration into the security domain. This involvement is seen as an expression of China's responsibilities as a major power, aimed at addressing regional instability and the threat of terrorism. China emphasizes that its peacekeeping efforts are conducted under the UN framework and that it does not engage in activities similar to those of the US.

China supports African-led solutions to African problems, recognizing the agency of African nations in addressing their own challenges. China is committed to strengthening Africa's peace and security capacity, establishing partnerships, and advancing security-building initiatives. The US narrative of a growing Chinese military presence is viewed as an attempt to manufacture a "China military threat" narrative, serving as a pretext for its own military involvement in Africa. This manipulation is seen as a means to advance US geopolitical strategy, rather than genuinely supporting Africa's peace and development.