China looks to recreate ancient Silk Road with network of African ports
- Latest addition is a port on the Kenyan island of Lamu, which is set to go into operation in June
- US$5 billion project is part of a US$25 billion infrastructure project to link Kenya with Ethiopia, Uganda and South Sudan
A seaport built by a Chinese company on the Kenyan island of Lamu will go into operation in June as Beijing aims to recreate an ancient Silk Road more than 600 years after Ming dynasty admiral Zheng He visited the area.
According to historians, Zheng’s fleet paid four visits to the Kenyan coast, starting at the town of Malindi in 1418. Centuries later, China is trying to connect this history with several projects in Africa.
The Kenya Ports Authority (KPA) said China Communications Construction Company had completed construction of the first three berths at Lamu port, which is set to become a cargo transshipment hub for containers and oil cargo. The deepwater facility will be capable of handling large sea vessels and will complement Kenya’s main port in Mombasa.
The US$5 billion project is part of a broader US$25 billion infrastructure scheme – the Lamu Port South Sudan Ethiopia Transport (Lapsset) Corridor – which will link Kenya with Ethiopia, Uganda and South Sudan.
Ports operator China Merchants Group (CMG) has made massive investments and signed concessions in Djibouti, Nigeria and Togo, according to The Economist Intelligence Unit. In December, it signed a US$350 million investment deal with state-owned company Great Horn Investment Holding, paving the way for a revamp of the Port of Djibouti into an international logistics and business hub. The US$3 billion project is to be modelled on the port of Shekou in the south China city of Shenzhen that is integrated with a free-trade zone and business centre.