Great Power Competition and China’s Security Assistance to Africa: Arms, Training, and Influence

The research concludes that China's security force assistance (SFA) in Africa is consistent with a strategy of economic alignment rather than a military alignment strategy aimed at supplanting the US. While China has expanded its SFA to almost every African state since 2015, the assistance is described as being "spread widely but thin," focusing on non-lethal equipment and training to protect economic interests and foster long-term relationships. In contrast, the US remains the dominant SFA provider in financial terms, with annual provision worth hundreds of millions of dollars compared to China's estimated tens of millions. The authors argue that this approach creates a viable alternative for authoritarian African governments who may otherwise face human rights-based restrictions from Western donors.

• China's SFA strategy in Africa is focused on economic alignment—protecting economic interests and deepening relationships—rather than a military alignment strategy to create a pro-China bloc or supplant the US as the dominant security provider.
• China has provided SFA to nearly every African state since 2000, with 47 states and two organizations (AMISOM and the ECOWAS Standby Force) identified as recipients, and four others as likely recipients.
• The nature of Chinese SFA emphasizes training and non-lethal equipment over major weapons systems, likely to avoid undercutting its own commercial arms exports.
• There was a significant increase in China's SFA commitments after 2015, following a pledge of USD 100 million to the African Union over five years and subsequent FOCAC action plans.
• In financial terms, China remains a 'second division' provider compared to the US; while China spends tens of millions annually, US annual provision to Africa (excluding Egypt) is worth hundreds of millions.
• China's SFA is often targeted at states with high economic importance or long-standing ties, such as Angola, Zimbabwe, and Nigeria, while militarily powerful states like Egypt, Ethiopia, and South Africa have received little to no identified SFA.
• China's willingness to provide SFA without the human rights conditions often required by the US and EU provides authoritarian African governments with a viable alternative to Western assistance.

APA

Carrozza, I., & Marsh, N. (n.d.). Great Power Competition and China’s Security Assistance to Africa: Arms, Training, and Influence. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/84a5dfd3-63d2-4d2f-8590-0d598c886428/Great Power Competition and Chinas Security Assistance to Africa Arms Training and Influence.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Carrozza, Ilaria, and Nicholas Marsh. Great Power Competition and China’s Security Assistance to Africa: Arms, Training, and Influence. Peace Research Institute Oslo, n.d. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/84a5dfd3-63d2-4d2f-8590-0d598c886428/Great Power Competition and Chinas Security Assistance to Africa Arms Training and Influence.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Carrozza |first1=Ilaria |last2=Marsh |first2=Nicholas |title=Great Power Competition and China’s Security Assistance to Africa: Arms, Training, and Influence |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/84a5dfd3-63d2-4d2f-8590-0d598c886428/Great Power Competition and Chinas Security Assistance to Africa Arms Training and Influence.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{carrozzandgreat, author = {Carrozza, Ilaria and Marsh, Nicholas}, title = {{Great Power Competition and China’s Security Assistance to Africa: Arms, Training, and Influence}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/84a5dfd3-63d2-4d2f-8590-0d598c886428/Great Power Competition and Chinas Security Assistance to Africa Arms Training and Influence.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }