China's military leaders have invited African army chiefs to Beijing — officially, to discuss peacekeeping missions. But China's military strategy in Africa also has a few other objectives, experts say.
Image: picture-alliance/Photoshot
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In 2011, Chinese troops were deployed on the African continent for the first time. Back then, the government in Beijing had dispatched a frigate to the Libyan coast to monitor the evacuation of 35,000 Chinese citizens from the war-torn country.
Today, some eight years later, the presence of Chinese soldiers has become commonplace, at least in parts of the African continent. For example, some 2,000 Chinese troops are currently involved in UN peacekeeping missions in African countries like South Sudan and Mali. And it was in Djibouti, strategically located on the Gulf of Aden on Africa's east coast, where China established its first foreign military base in 2017.
The Chinese government now intends to expand its military cooperation with the continent. To this end, China's Defense Ministry has invited African army chiefs to a summit in Beijing, running from July 14 to 20. Last year, the Chinese capital hosted a meeting of high-ranking military attaches and army representatives from virtually all African countries. If the available press bulletins are anything to go by, there is one issue that will clearly dominate the agenda this week: peace.
The focus of the talks has shifted increasingly toward safeguarding peace, Cobus van Staden of the South African Institute of International Affairs told DW. And a summit name change also points in that direction. In 2018, African delegations were in Beijing to take part in the China-Africa Defense and Security Forum. This year's invitation dropped the "defense" heading, instead replacing it with "peace" — a shift of Chinese priorities toward a stronger commitment to peacekeeping on the conflict-ravaged continent, said van Staden.
By contrast, political analyst Lina Benabdallah, who studies China's Africa policies at Wake Forest University in North Carolina in the US, does not attach a deeper meaning to the name change. In 2018, the Chinese had simply intended to test the water with a first round of cooperation talks, she said. This time, they were setting up an official panel of increased distinction, said Benabdallah.
China is predominantly interested in consolidating its presence in Africa, Benabdallah told DW, for instance through intensified collaboration with the African Union, more police and military training exercises and more peacekeeping troops. This is also where the military base in Djibouti plays a crucial role.
For China, however, Djibouti doesn't just carry military significance. The small nation on the Gulf of Aden is also a strategically important hub for President Xi Jinping's economic signature project, the Belt and Road Initiative. The port of Djibouti is the starting point of a new railway line to Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, a line financed and constructed by China. Similar construction projects are to make sure that, in future, railway lines will be operational across all of eastern Africa. China, Benabdallah said, will also use this week's forum as an instrument to safeguard its economic interests on the continent.
China's secluded community in Zambia
Chinese slang, Chinese cooking, Chinese bargaining — all in the middle of Zambia's capital Lusaka. It's where Chinese expats meet to get a taste of home. The Zambian employees say they work long hours for little pay.
Image: DW/A-B. Jalloh
The JCS Food Town
People passing by on the other side of the street could mistake this for a mediocre suburban market in a small town in China. In fact, it's a shopping mall full of Chinese products in Zambia's capital, Lusaka. Here, at the JCS Food Town, visitors can buy vegetables, fruits, seafood, spices and even mobile phones — as well as eat authentic Chinese dishes.
Image: DW/A-B. Jalloh
Almost exclusively Chinese
Most of the visitors to the market are Chinese expats. There are also a few westerners and Zambians who like the taste of Chinese cuisine. Few tourists have it on their itinerary. The Zambian employees perform mostly menial tasks such as cleaning, cooking and selling vegetables.
Image: DW/A-B. Jalloh
Place your orders!
In this kitchen, mostly Sichuan cuisine is prepared. The Chinese chef has several Zambian assistants whose help is needed particularly at noon when most expats flock in to place their orders. The market offers a variety of Chinese delicacies, including roasted duck and crayfish — yummy!!
Image: DW/A-B. Jalloh
No contact outside work
These Zambian vegetable traders said they are fairly new in the market and business is "okay." One commented: "We can learn how to do business from the Chinese." Any contact is limited to the workplace; neither of them has any Chinese friends.
Image: DW/F. Wan
Few Chinese become integrated
This Chinese expat says he has Zambian friends. He has been living in Zambia for 13 years. He told DW he is very fond of Lusaka and has got used to life there. "I am well integrated, but most Chinese people may not be. Chinese nationals generally prefer to stay amongst themselves," he said.
Image: DW/F. Wan
A happy employee
This Zambian employee said she couldn't complain about her work. Her boss (on the left) is very good to her and her colleagues, she maintained. And he "pays very well." However, she is vastly outnumbered by the number of locals who tell negative tales about their Chinese employers.
Image: DW/F. Wan
The invisible worker
This young lady is one of the main reasons why the market looks spick and span. She's not used to people showing interest in her work and rewarded the DW reporters with a big smile.
Image: DW/F. Wan
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More peace through weapons?
Arms are another key issue on the agenda. In recent years, China has turned into a major weapons and equipment supplier for Africa's armies. According to van Staden, Russia is still the No. 1 arms supplier in Africa, but China ranks second. The Asians wish to position themselves as supplier of affordable but advanced military technology, Benabdallah said. This despite the fact that in 2018, China's Xi backed the African Union objective of implementing a ceasefire across the continent by 2020.
Benabdallah pointed out that other powers, like Russia and the US, were also trying to enforce their military and economic interests in Africa. This harbors dangers, but also opportunities, she said, adding that the smart way to proceed was for African heads of state and government to ensure that they make their decisions as independently as possible. If they didn't, "other governments could interfere too much," she said.
Money from China and Africa's renaissance on rails
To improve its overseas transport infrastructure, China is investing heavily in Africa. The railroad is celebrating a comeback on the continent.
Image: Getty Images/AFP
Kenya opens Madaraka Express railway
The Chinese-built railway linking the port city of Mombasa with the capital, Nairobi, is Kenya's biggest infrastructure project since independence. The passegner train, dubbed the Madaraka (Freedom) Express, can carry 1,260 passengers and replaces the so-called "Lunatic Express" - a railway built by colonial Britain more than a century ago, which was known for lengthy delays and breakdowns.
Image: Reuters/Stringer
Connecting East Africa
About 25,000 Kenyan and 3,000 Chinese workers took part in the construction of the 472-kilometer route between Mombasa and Nairobi. China financed about 90 percent of the construction costs, while the Kenyan government is providing the remaining 20 percent. The newly opened railway is the first phase of a project to connect Kenya's landlocked neighbors Uganda, Rwanda and South Sudan to Mombasa.
Image: Reuters/N. Khamis
The fast train from Abuja to Kaduna
Since July, 175 kilometers (116 miles) of rail have connected Nigeria's capital, Abuja, to Kaduna state in the north. It cost about 800 million euros ($896.5) to construct. The Export-Import Bank of China provided approximately 450 million euros.
Image: DW/U. Musa
The head of state on tracks
Nigerian President Muhmmadu Buhari was a special guest on the new train's maiden trip. A ticket for the two-hour, 40-minute journey goes for the equivalent of 3 euros for economy class and 4.25 euros for first class.
Image: DW/U. Musa
City rail in Addis Ababa
The first light rail line in Ethiopia's capital went active in 2015. It was built by the China Railway Group - also with funding from China EximBank. The Chinese will be involved in the operation and maintenance of the light rail system until 2020. Then the Ethiopian Railways Corporation should take over.
Image: picture-alliance/dpaMarthe van der Wolf
Railway museum in Livingstone
Rail transport in Africa goes back a long way. In 1856 the route between Alexandria and Cairo was opened. These steam engines are said to have been running from the beginning of the 20th century to 1976 in Zambia. They are exhibited at the Railway Museum in Livingstone.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/S. de Sakutin
Dilapidation at the end of colonial rule
A number of railway lines were constructed by the colonialists in Africa. The trains transported raw materials to the coast, where they would then be shipped to Europe. Many of these routes are dilapidated. The relics in the photo belong to the original railway line between Swakopmund and Walvis Bay, built in 1914 but replaced in 1980.
Image: picture-alliance/Ardea/K. Terblanche
Africa's rail network
In a 2015 statement, the African Development Bank emphasized the importance of the railway for the continent. It allows for the cheap transportation of goods and relieves urban congestion, according to the bank. The report also criticizes the poor condition of the rail networks. They mainly stretch across the north and the south and are often not linked to each other.
Will closed stations be reopened?
As economies grow in many African countries, a new emphasis has been placed on transport improvements. If China and other backers continue to invest, deserted train stations such as this one in Addis Ababa could function again.
Image: Getty Images/AFP/M. Medina
Going all the way in South Africa
The Gautrain regional rail network connects Pretoria and Johannesburg with the largest airport in Africa. It is to be expanded from the current 80 to 230 kilometers in the next 20 years. With about 21,000 kilometers of track, South Africa has by far the largest rail network in the continent. Sudan has 7,300 kilometers, and Egypt has 5,100 kilometers.
Image: imago/ZUMA Press
Fast trains from France in Tangier
The continent's highest-speed trains are planned in the north. The first of 12 French TGV trains were delivered last June. The journey between Tangier and Casablanca should take 2 hours 10 minutes at a speed of up to 320 kilometers per hour, instead of the now 4 hours 45 minutes. The line will later extend to Algeria and Tunisia.
