China welcomes dozens of African states to security conference as it seeks greater role in continent
- The Chinese defence ministry said the event, attended by nearly 50 countries, will focus on President Xi Jinping’s Global Security Initiative
- Beijing has focused on peacekeeping, counterterrorism and training on the continent as it seeks to present itself as an alternative to the US
China is hosting defence officials from nearly 50 African countries at a security conference as Beijing seeks to expand its presence and shore up ties with the continent amid its rivalry with the United States.
According to the Chinese defence ministry, the third China-Africa Peace and Security Forum will focus on President Xi Jinping’s Global Security Initiative (GSI), which sets out Beijing’s policy principles for managing conflicts and keeping the world at peace.
The forum, which runs until Saturday, will be attended by security officials from the African Union and most of its member states, the ministry said.
Under its stated non-interference policy, Beijing has refrained from getting its troops directly involved in local conflicts.
“To me it is logical and expected that China will test its GSI first in Africa, where its main contingents of peacekeepers are, including combat forces, until recently in Mali and still in South Sudan,” said Jean-Pierre Cabestan, an emeritus professor who focuses on China-African ties at Baptist University in Hong Kong.