Shifting Security Challenges in the China–Africa Relationship

This policy brief from the South African Institute of International Affairs examines the evolving security relationship between China and Africa. It analyzes how China is shifting from a strict policy of non-interference toward deeper engagement in both traditional military security and non-traditional threats, including the protection of its citizens, pandemic response, and environmental conservation, increasingly through multilateral frameworks.

• China is increasingly utilizing multilateral organizations to address security challenges in Africa, including contributing peacekeepers to UN missions in Namibia, Liberia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Chad, and South Sudan, and deploying a naval flotilla to the Gulf of Aden to combat piracy.
• The Chinese government is taking more direct action to protect its citizens in Africa through local embassy support, partnerships with security firms, and state-level police cooperation. Examples include the 2012 deployment of 30 police officers to Luanda to address Chinese mafia activity and the 2015 repatriation of 30 Chinese nationals arrested for cybercrimes in Nairobi.
• China has engaged in counter-terrorism efforts in Africa, notably by contributing troops in 2013 to an ECOWAS/UN mission against al-Qaeda-affiliated Toureg rebels in northern Mali. It has also collaborated with the EU to increase cooperation on extremism in the Middle East, North Africa, and the Sahel.
• During the 2014 Ebola outbreak, China provided over $140 million in aid, primarily to Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. This support included medical staff, infrastructure construction, and the provision of equipment such as ambulances and incinerators.
• China's role in environmental security is contradictory: while the government signs conservation agreements with countries like Kenya and South Africa and conducts anti-smuggling operations, Chinese syndicates continue to drive the illegal trade in abalone, rhino horn, and ivory.
• The timber trade between China and Africa is characterized by an imbalance where Africa primarily exports raw logs. This is exacerbated by China's policy of not taxing imported logs, which discourages the export of finished timber products and limits Africa's potential for value-added exports.

APA

Anthony, R., Esterhuyse, H., & Burgess, M. (2015). Shifting Security Challenges in the China–Africa Relationship. South African Institute of International Affairs. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Policy-Insights-23.pdf

Chicago

Anthony, Ross, Harrie Esterhuyse, and Meryl Burgess. Shifting Security Challenges in the China–Africa Relationship. South African Institute of International Affairs, 2015. https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Policy-Insights-23.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Anthony |first1=Ross |last2=Esterhuyse |first2=Harrie |last3=Burgess |first3=Meryl |title=Shifting Security Challenges in the China–Africa Relationship |publisher=South African Institute of International Affairs |date=23 September 2015 |url=https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Policy-Insights-23.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{anthony2015shifting, author = {Anthony, Ross and Esterhuyse, Harrie and Burgess, Meryl}, title = {{Shifting Security Challenges in the China–Africa Relationship}}, institution = {South African Institute of International Affairs}, year = {2015}, month = sep, url = {https://saiia.org.za/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Policy-Insights-23.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }