China’s growing influence in Africa extends to arms sales, report says
- Amid war in Ukraine, China is closing the gap with Russia on arms sales to many African nations, RAND says
- Beijing leverages favourable financing to sell weapons and strengthen relations with African governments, militaries
Aside from exporting weapons to African countries, China has exported private military and security contractors (PMSCs) to protect mining facilities, ports and railways – projects that have been funded through the Belt and Road Initiative.
China slightly lags Russia, whose private military and security contractors have won contracts in 31 African countries. Russia has also exported weapon systems to 14 African countries, according to data from RAND released in late December. Military shipments from China and Russia to African countries have included aircraft and unmanned aerial vehicles, artillery, armoured vehicles, missiles and ships.
Seven African countries have received both arms and PMSCs from China, compared to 10 from Russia, according to the RAND study. The five countries that received weapons and PMSCs from both China and Russia are Angola, the Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Mali and Sudan.
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The study found that each of the 15 nations that have received Chinese PMSCs have also received Russian private security contractors.