China's Expanding Security Involvement in Africa: A Pillar for ‘China–Africa Community of Common Destiny’

Abstract

China has been committed to creating an ‘all weather’ relationship with Africa particularly since the new century by persistently expanding its economic, political and, more recently, security involvement in Africa. China's intensified peacekeeping efforts in Africa reveals not only China's desire for maintaining the regional peace and stability for its economic cooperation and trade with Africa, but also China's strategic intention of creating its own sphere of influence in the forms of Sino‐African ‘Community of Common Destiny’. In so doing, China wishes to cement its relations with Africa that it identifies, together with those with other developing nations, as the ‘basis of China's international relations’ and provide itself with a safe access to African markets, resources and investment destinations in order to sustain its economic growth that bases its long cherished dream of restoring its past glory of ‘Fuqiang’ (wealth and power) and rise in the global power hierarchy.

Locating Africa in China's community of shared future for mankind: A relational approach

“…In 2018, Xi again called for Chinese and African partners to “work together to build a China–Africa community with a shared future for win–win cooperation … and safeguard the common interests of China and Africa and the vast majority of developing countries” (“Xi Jinping: Willing,” 2018). He did the same in his keynote speech at the 2021 Forum on China–Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) titled: “Uphold the Tradition of Always Standing Together and Jointly Build a China–Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era.” Chinese officials also regularly reference The Community when meeting with their African counterparts (China Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2019); and in Beijing scholars have identified China–Africa relations' “fundamental position” within The Community (Wu, 2020; Yu, 2018).…”

“…He did the same in his keynote speech at the 2021 Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) titled: "Uphold the Tradition of Always Standing Together and Jointly Build a China-Africa Community with a Shared Future in the New Era." Chinese officials also regularly reference The Community when meeting with their African counterparts (China Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2019); and in Beijing scholars have identified China-Africa relations' "fundamental position" within The Community (Wu, 2020;Yu, 2018).…”