Naypyidaw: China’s growing military footprint in Africa now extends beyond nations that have distanced themselves from Paris, with Senegal and Ghana, long aligned with France and Western security partners, having stepped up acquisitions of Chinese defence systems.
At the same time, Burkina Faso and Mali, under post-coup governments, are ramping up defence procurement from China amid worsening insurgencies, a report has stated.
According to a report in ‘Mekong News Myanmar’, the shift is most evident in the Sahel region in Africa, where Chinese suppliers have targeted a niche providing military juntas confronting persistent insurgencies with affordable, rapidly deployable and low-maintenance equipment.
“The withdrawal of French forces from the Sahel and Russia’s reduced export capacity due to the Ukraine war have combined to create what analysts describe as a ‘military vacuum’ across West and Central Africa. That space is not empty for long. China has moved swiftly to consolidate its position,” the report detailed.
“The shift began after the wave of coups in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger from 2020 onward. These upheavals dismantled long-standing security partnerships, particularly with Paris. France’s counter-terrorism mission, once central to regional security architecture, has wound down. In parallel, Russia, preoccupied with sustaining its war effort in Ukraine, has struggled to maintain previous levels of arms deliveries and support to overseas clients,” it added.
The report noted that the Chinese defence industry assessments have publicly recognised Beijing’s expansion in African markets.
“A January report in China Military to Civilian, published under the aegis of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence, described the French exit as creating ‘space’ for China’s military trade expansion. The report, attributed to the state arms exporter China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation, argued that Beijing is leveraging cost-effective systems and flexible financing to penetrate African markets,” it mentioned.
The report emphasised that arms transfers represent one facet of Beijing’s increasing footprint. Through the 2024–2027 Beijing Action Plan, the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) includes a pledge to train 6,500 military personnel, reflecting broader institutional engagement.
“This lower-profile strategy avoids large-scale troop deployments. Instead, China is strengthening defence attache networks, conducting naval port calls and expanding training exchanges. Chinese private security firms are also protecting infrastructure linked to Beijing’s economic projects,” it mentioned.
The report further said, “The ‘military vacuum’ narrative may overstate the absence of other powers. But the data shows a clear trend: as Western footprints shrink and Russian supply lines tighten, China’s role in West and Central Africa’s defence landscape is expanding, methodically, commercially and with long-term strategic intent.”
