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The BRI Status: A Grand Report on Its Present and Future

Download the report: Link The Chinese government introduced the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a global infrastructure development initiative in 2013. The plan aims to connect Asia, Africa, and Europe with a network of roads, trains, ports, and other infrastructure. The BRI got acclaim from the Chinese government for its ability to boost connectivity and economic growth in developing countries worldwide. However, the initiative has significantly harmed the environment, placed the signatory countries under an unrestrained amount of debt (a situation known as the “debt trap“), and the projects lacked transparency. Here is a Grand report on its current status and future scope. Debt Traps When a nation borrows a large amount of money that it is unable to pay back its obligations, such a condition is known as a debt trap. This results in a variety of issues, such as political instability, economic instability, and even the loss of sovereignty. There have been several instances when it has been said that countries have fallen into debt traps as a result of BRI projects. For instance, Sri Lanka was compelled to give China control of a significant port when it was unable to pay its debts. The BRI has been criticized for its lack of transparency. There is little information available about the costs and benefits of the BRI projects, and there have been allegations of corruption in some of the deals. This makes it difficult to assess the true risks of the BRI for developing countries. The Growth of BRI According to our investigation, 62.8% of the countries that have joined the BRI are developing countries, while around 17% are developed countries. This suggests that the BRI is primarily focused on developing countries. This is likely because developing countries have a greater need for infrastructure investment than developed countries. Developing countries often have a need for loans to finance infrastructure projects. The BRI offers these countries an opportunity to access Chinese loans. However, there is a risk that these loans could lead to debt traps as discussed in the previous section. Politicians’ hunger in developing and upper-middle-income economies for Chinese loans and subsequent inability to repay them has hurt the entire political and economic stability of countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Nepal, Ethiopia, and Congo! Our analysis also shows that of the BRI member countries, parliamentary democracies make up 30%, presidential republics make up 25.3%, and countries with a presidential system (not republics) make up 18.7%. This suggests that the BRI is not limited to any particular type of government. Countries whose political parties competed with one another were more likely to join the BRI. This is because leaders in these countries, like those in Kenya, are more likely to be enticed by hefty Chinese loans, as the loan terms and their future implications are typically kept secret from the public. If we talk about the continents, 27% of the nations that have joined the BRI are in Asia and 33.1% are in Africa. Resources like cobalt, diamonds, platinum, and uranium are abundant in most of the African nations that make up the BRI. In addition to plundering resources from these areas, Chinese corporations often lock fragile nations in vicious loan cycles. China lures nations in Asia not just for its financial prospects but also for geopolitical and strategic upsides. Countries like Nepal, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan join BRI in order to gain political favor, access to quick loans, and the benefit of being associated with the second-largest economy in the world. But after ten years, BRI’s impact on these nations has only recently become apparent. This has been thoroughly explored in this report. In-depth Analysis of BRI Here is an in-depth analysis of some of the countries/regions which have suffered due to the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI): Conclusion In conclusion, the report titled “The BRI Status: A Grand Report on Its Present and Future” sheds light on the numerous challenges and issues faced by BRI projects in developing and least-developed countries of Asia and Africa. The findings indicate that these projects have experienced cost overruns, corruption, environmental damage, funding issues, repeated delays, lack of progress, and poor quality of development. Specific cases highlighted in the report further illustrate the negative consequences of these issues. For instance, the Bagamoyo Port Project in Tanzania was halted due to concerns that the terms of the project compromised the country’s sovereignty. Similarly, in Nepal, all BRI projects experienced significant delays, with more than half suffering from corruption and poor quality. Furthermore, it is evident that in countries like Nepal and Sri Lanka, some BRI projects seem to serve China’s geopolitical interests rather than contributing to regional development. This raises questions about the true motivations behind these investments. The report also reveals security concerns raised by stakeholders involved in BRI projects in Pakistan, with a significant number of projects experiencing cost overruns. Examples such as the Hambantota port lease in Sri Lanka for 99 years to China Merchants Port Holdings further highlight the long-term implications of such agreements. Looking ahead, it is crucial to address these issues and ensure that BRI projects prioritize sustainable development, transparency, and accountability. Lessons from the past should guide future decisions, with a focus on mutually beneficial partnerships that genuinely contribute to the socioeconomic progress of the host countries. By recognizing the challenges and learning from the shortcomings, it is possible to shape a more positive and inclusive future for the Belt and Road Initiative, where the interests of all stakeholders are safeguarded and the potential for sustainable development is fully realized.

The status of BRI projects in AFRICA

Editor1 year ago1 year ago031 mins

Download the report: Link Africa’s participation in the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) began in 2013 when China first unveiled its ambitious global infrastructure project. Recognizing the potential for enhanced connectivity, economic growth, and development, several African countries, including Ethiopia, Kenya, and Egypt, joined the BRI. Africa saw the initiative as a means to address its infrastructure deficit, promote trade and investment, and strengthen its ties with China. Here are the year-on-year trade statistics and balance of payment of Africa with China from 2017 to 2022: Year Africa’s Imports from China Africa’s Export to China Balance of Payment 2017 199.3 billion USD 95.7 billion USD -103.6 billion USD 2018 232.2 billion USD 106.7 billion USD -125.5 billion USD 2019 265.3 billion USD 117.7 billion USD -147.6 billion USD 2020 298.4 billion USD 128.7 billion USD -169.7 billion USD 2021 331.5 billion USD 140 billion USD -191.5 billion USD 2022 364.6 billion USD 151.3 billion USD -213.3 billion USD Trade statistics of Africa with China from 2017 to 2022 List of some of the projects that have suffered cost overruns: Country Project Benin Cotonou Port Expansion Project Botswana Kazungula Bridge Project Cambodia Phnom Penh Railway Project Cameroon Kribi Deep Seaport Project Cameroon N’Djamena-Doba Railway Project Chad N’Djamena-Doba Railway Project Djibouti Djibouti International Airport Expansion Project Djibouti Doraleh Multipurpose Port Project Ghana Tema-Aflao Railway Project Kenya Mombasa-Nairobi Standard Gauge Railway Kenya Lamu Port and Lamu-Southern Sudan-Ethiopia Transport Corridor Liberia Buchanan Port Rehabilitation Project Malawi Nacala Logistics Corridor Project Mauritius Port Louis Waterfront Project Morocco Tanger-Med II Port Expansion Project Mozambique Nacala Logistics Corridor Project Nigeria Lagos-Kano Railway Rwanda Bugesera International Airport Project Senegal Diamniadio International Airport Project Sierra Leone Lungi International Airport Expansion Project Tanzania Dodoma City Water Supply Project Tanzania Tanzania-Zambia Railway Project Tunisia Enfidha International Airport Expansion Project Uganda Karuma Hydropower Project Zambia Lusaka Water Supply Project Zambia Victoria Falls Airport Expansion Project Zimbabwe Victoria Falls Airport Expansion Project Here are some of the problems that have plagued the BRI Projects in Africa over the years. The first bar shows the finished projects out of the 31 projects in Africa that make up the sample size. Only 19.35% of the initiatives from Africa in previous years were finished. As the last bar in the bar graph indicates, 9.68% of the projects were abandoned because of budget constraints and local opposition. In the report below, the precise causes are being looked into. The most common issues encountered by BRI projects in Africa were environmental damage (74.19%), which includes the destruction of local ecosystems triggering climate change and the displacement of local communities as a result of skewed and shoddy environmental impact assessments (EIA), and cost overruns (77.42%), which have multiplied the projects’ costs. Delays in project execution (58.06%) brought on by Chinese companies’ reluctance to move the project forward, corruption cases (64.52%) encompassing the stakeholders involved, and low-quality building materials (35.48%) were also major factors in the BRI’s dismal performance in Africa. Examples of projects in Africa that have been linked to corruption allegations involving Chinese companies: Country Project Name Chinese Company Angola Soyo Refinery China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) Botswana Gaborone International Airport China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Congo Inga III Hydropower Project Zhongjian International (Group) Corporation Egypt New Administrative Capital China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC) Ethiopia Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam Salini Impregilo Ghana Tema Oil Refinery Expansion Sinopec Kenya Standard Gauge Railway China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Liberia Mount Coffee Hydropower Project China International Water and Electric Corporation (CWE) Malawi Bingu International Conference Center China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) Mauritius Phoenix International Airport China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Mozambique Nacala Port Expansion China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Namibia Walvis Bay Port Expansion China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Nigeria Ajaokuta Steel Mill China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) Rwanda Kigali International Airport China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Senegal Diamniadio International Airport China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) Sierra Leone Lungi International Airport China Communications Construction Company (CCCC) South Africa Gautrain Rapid Rail System China Railway Group Limited (CRG) Tanzania Julius Nyerere Hydropower Project China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) Uganda Karuma Hydropower Project China International Water and Electric Corporation (CWE) Zambia Kafue Gorge Lower Hydropower Project China Three Gorges Corporation (CTG) Zimbabwe Victoria Falls Airport Expansion China Gezhouba Group Corporation (CGGC) BRI projects under the scanner in corruption cases Analysis of the flagship projects Addis Ababa-Djibouti Railway, Ethiopia and Djibouti Environment Damage, Delayed, Cost Overrun, Corruption, Poor Quality Completed The Addis Ababa-Djibouti (AAD) Railway Modernization Project is Africa’s first cross-border electrified railway. The railway line is a 753 km electrified single-track standard gauge route between Ethiopia’s capital Addis Ababa and the Port of Djibouti, with 45 stops in total. The new standard gauge route runs parallel to and replaces an abandoned 1 m gauge railway built more than a century ago. The EDR, a joint venture of the two state-owned firms ERC and SDCF, owns the railway line. The project was built by Chinese state-owned corporations China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) and China Railway Engineering Corporation (CREC) under the BRI, which is operating the railway for a period of six years following construction completion. The freight route began in October 2015, while passenger service was formally inaugurated in October 2016. On January 1, 2018, it became officially commercially operating. The project has faced issues with delays and construction quality, which have resulted in the railway being temporarily shut down several times for repairs due to failures. The project has also been detrimental to the environment and the indigenous communities. Bagamoyo Port Project, Tanzania Halted, Poor Quality Tanzania’s Bagamoyo Port Project set a new course in China-Tanzania ties. The deal for the Bagamoyo port project was inked in 2013 after numerous African organizations dubbed it a “killer Chinese loan” and asked that Tanzania’s previous President, Jakaya Kikwete, refuse the offer. Regardless, the offer was accepted. However, in January 2016, President John Magufuli declared the project’s halt. Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone Project, Tanzania Environment Damage, Cost Overrun, Corruption, Halted The Bagamoyo Special Economic Zone Project…

Malaysia’s Mahathir says Russia may take nuclear option

Editor1 year ago06 mins

The world is facing the grim prospect of a nuclear war as the Ukrainian conflict drags on, a former Asian leader has warned. “I don’t think you can make Russia surrender,” said former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad about the ongoing Ukraine war on Friday – the second day of the Future of Asia conference hosted by the Nikkei news group in Tokyo. “They will fight to the end, and in desperation they may resort to the use of nuclear weapons,” said the former statesman who will be 98 in July, adding that not only Ukraine and Russia, but “the whole world will suffer.” Mahathir served as Malaysia’s prime minister from 1981 to 2003 and again from 2018 to 2020. “Nuclear war is the worst kind of war because of the extent of destruction it causes,” he said, reflecting on the end of World War II when two atomic bombs were dropped on Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945. A summit of Group of Seven (G7) of the world’s most developed nations was held in Hiroshima last week. “It seems that G7 countries went to Hiroshima trying to persuade the Global South that they should support the West’s efforts in the Ukraine war,” Mahathir said. The Global South is a term generally used for less developed countries in Latin America, Africa, Asia and Oceania, as opposed to more prosperous nations in the Global North including North America, Europe, and Australia, as well as several rich Asian countries like Japan, South Korea and Singapore. “We should not get involved in wars,” the former leader said before criticizing what he called “the mindset of some countries.” “Global North thinks that war is a solution to conflicts between nations,” Mahathir said. “Russia and the West were partners in the war against Germany,” he said, “but immediately after the war the West decided that their new enemy is Russia so they set up NATO.” ‘World government’ The rivalry between the world’s two superpowers China and the U.S. once again was highlighted at the Future of Asia event, in its 28th year this year. Sri Lanka’s President Ranil Wickremesinghe said on Thursday that his country “welcomes the G7’s announcement that they are prepared to build a stable and constructive relationship with China.” Singapore Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong went further adding: “Any attempt either to contain China’s rise or to limit America’s presence in the region will have few takers. Nobody wants to see a new cold war.” Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad (right) at a Q&A session at the Future of Asia conference, May 26, 2023. Credit: RFA/Screenshot from livestream For his part, Mahathir Mohamad urged Asian countries that they “should not take sides to support either the U.S. or China.” “We should support the world that includes the U.S., China and the rest.” “We should free ourselves from the influences by the West both in the economic and political fields,” said the former leader, known for his anti-Western rhetoric. In his opinion, the United Nations as an organization needs to be restructured in order to lead global efforts in dealing with common world problems such as climate change, pandemics and consequences of wars. “We should think of a common approach to deal with world problems, through a kind of world government,” he said. Future of Asia, held by Japan’s Nikkei annually since 1995, is “an international gathering where political, economic, and academic leaders from the Asia-Pacific region offer their opinions frankly and freely on regional issues and the role of Asia in the world.” This year’s theme is ‘Leveraging Asia’s power to confront global challenges.’ Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida delivered a speech Thursday saying Tokyo is “focused on co-creating the future” with its Asian partners. Edited by Mike Firn.

Trafficked teens tell of torture at scam ‘casino’ on Myanmar’s chaotic border

Editor1 year ago026 mins

It was a clear day when Kham set out from his home in northwestern Laos for what he thought was a chance to make money in the gilded gambling towns of the Golden Triangle, the border region his country shares with Thailand and Myanmar. On that day – a Friday, as he recalled – the teenager had gotten a Facebook note from a stranger: a young woman asking what he was doing and if he wanted to make some cash. He agreed to meet that afternoon. She picked up Kham, 16, along with a friend, and off they went, their parents none the wiser. “I thought to myself I’d work for a month or two then I’d go home,” Kham later said. (RFA has changed the real names of the victims in this story to protect them from possible reprisals.) But instead of a job, Kham ended up trafficked and held captive in a nondescript building on the Burmese-Thai border, some 200 miles south of the Golden Triangle and 400 miles from his home – isolated from the outside world, tortured and forced into a particular kind of labor: to work as a cyber-scammer. Barbed wire fences are seen outside a shuttered Great Wall Park compound where Cambodian authorities said they had recovered evidence of human trafficking, kidnapping and torture during raids on suspected cybercrime compounds in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, in Sept. 2022. Credit: Reuters In recent years, secret sites like the one where Kham was detained have proliferated throughout the region as the COVID-19 pandemic forced criminal networks to shift their strategies for making money. One popular scheme today involves scammers starting fake romantic online relationships that eventually lead to stealing as-large-as-possible sums of money from targets. The scammers said that if they fail to do so, they are tortured. Teen victims from Luang Namtha province in Laos who were trafficked to a place they called the “Casino Kosai,” in an isolated development near the city of Myawaddy on Myanmar’s eastern border with Thailand, have described their ordeal to RFA. Chillingly, dozens of teenagers and young people from Luang Namtha are still believed to be trapped at the site, along with victims from other parts of Asia. The case is but the tip of the iceberg in the vast networks of human trafficking that claim over 150,000 victims a year in Southeast Asia. Yet it encapsulates how greed and political chaos mix to allow crime to operate unchecked, with teenagers like Kham paying the price. This fake Facebook ad for the Sands International is for a receptionist. It lists job benefits of 31,000 baht salary, free accommodation and two days off per month. Qualifications are passport holder, Thai citizen, 20-35 years old and the ability to work in Cambodia. Credit: RFA screenshot The promise of cash Typically, it starts with the lure of a job. In the case of Lao teenagers RFA spoke to, the bait can be as simple as a message over Facebook or a messaging app. Other scams have involved more elaborate cons, with postings for seemingly legitimate jobs that have ensnared everyone from professionals to laborers to ambitious youths. What they have in common is the promise of high pay in glitzy, if sketchy, casino towns around Southeast Asia – many built with the backing of Chinese criminal syndicates that operate in poorly policed borderlands difficult to reach. Before 2020, “a lot of these places were involved in two things: gambling, where groups of Thais and Chinese were going for a weekend casino holiday, or online betting,” said Phil Robertson, deputy director for Asia at Human Rights Watch. “Then, all of a sudden COVID hits, and these syndicates [that ran the casinos] decided to change their business model. What they came up with was scamming.” A motorbike drives past a closed casino in Sihanoukville, Cambodia, in Feb. 2020. As travel restrictions bit during the pandemic, syndicates that ran the casinos shifted their focus from gambling to scams, says Phil Robertson of Human Rights Watch. Credit: Reuters Today, gambling towns like Sihanoukville, in Cambodia, and the outskirts of Tonpheung, on the Laos side of the Golden Triangle, have become notorious for trapping people looking for work into trafficking. But besides these places, there are also numerous unregulated developments where scamming “casinos” operate with little outside scrutiny, including on the Thai-Burmese border. Keo, 18, had a legitimate job at a casino in Laos when he was contacted via WhatsApp by a man who said he could make much more – 13 million kip ($766) a month, plus bonuses – by working in Thailand. He could leave whenever he wanted, the person claimed. “I thought about the new job offer for two days, then I said yes on the third day because the offer would pay more salary, plus commission and I can go home anytime,” Keo said. He quit his job by lying to his boss, saying he was going to visit his family. A few days later, a black Toyota Vigo pick-up truck fetched him, along with two friends, and they took a boat across the Mekong to Thailand. Scams By that time, Keo realized he was being trafficked – the two men who escorted him and his friends were armed. “While on the boat, one of us … suggested that we return to Laos, but we were afraid to ask,” as the men carried guns and knives. He dared not jump. “Later, one of us suggested we call our parents – but the men said, ‘On the boat, we don’t use the telephone.’ We dared not call our parents because we were afraid of being harmed,” he said. “So, we kept quiet until we reached the Thai side.” Both Keo and Kham told RFA that they were eventually trafficked to Myawaddy Township, an area some 300 miles south of the Golden Triangle. Kham only remembered parts of the journey, when he was made to walk for miles. Keo told RFA Laos he was transported by a…

The Chinese Cruel Cobalt Conundrum: A ground report from Congo

Editor1 year ago1 year ago017 mins

“The partnership between DRC and China … my country did not get anything out of the Sino Congolaise des Mines (Sicomines) agreement” Muzito (Between 2008 to 2012, Muzito was the prime minister of the DRC) Download the complete report Our reporters visited the DRC and spoke with numerous adults and children employed in the cobalt mines. They spent weeks conducting extensive research using both online and offline sources. The primary conclusions and complete report on the “Chinese Cruel Cobalt Conundrum” are provided below. Key Findings China and Cobalt China has invested heavily in the cobalt industry in recent years, as cobalt is a key material used in the production of lithium-ion batteries for electric vehicles and other electronics. The exact total investment of China in cobalt is difficult to quantify as China keeps such data highly censored yet Ij-Reportika has estimated that China leads the world in refined cobalt production at 70% of total global supply; According to a report by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in 2022, China was the largest producer of refined cobalt and the largest importer of cobalt-containing intermediate products in the world. In 2022, there was a boom in the production of Cobalt. With 130,000 tonnes of cobalt produced in 2022, the Democratic Republic of the Congo(DRC) was the world’s largest source of mined cobalt, accounting for about 68% of the global cobalt mine production. In the complete report, we have covered all the mines under Chinese ownership. One such example is the Tenke Fungurume Mine (TFM). Freeport-McMoRan Inc. and BHR’s 56% and 24% equity in the TFM copper-cobalt company in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) were successfully acquired by China Molybdenum Co., Ltd. in 2016 and 2019, respectively. 80% of the total equity in TFM is presently held by China Molybdenum Co., Ltd. (CMOC). Through its directly controlled wholly-owned subsidiary in Hong Kong, CMOC DRC Limited, the China Molybdenum Co., Ltd. gained influence over the TFM copper-cobalt business in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). The mine is expected to operate until 2052. This mine has been the center of controversies since CMOC took over the majority shares of TFM. The mine has long been an important stop for Tenke residents, who believe it to be part of their land. The Congolese military was sent to monitor the mine for several months by the CMOC to stop this from happening. Recently, one of these natives was struck dead by the patrolling army. Another individual died as a result of the protests that erupted after the terrible killing. Security at the mine is supplemented by the private security company Frontier Services Group or 先丰服务集团 (Chinese Africa-focused security, aviation, and logistics company). Our ground reporter visited the mine and observed that most of the native workers were not equipped with the security gear to mine cobalt. The Causes of Concern Chinese mining of cobalt in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has caused several problems, including: Environmental degradation Cobalt mining in the DRC involves the use of heavy machinery, which damages the environment and destroys habitats for plants and animals. The mining process also releases toxic chemicals and heavy metals into the soil and water, causing pollution and health risks. The Tunnels to Hell The official limit of tunnel length is 30 meters, however, this is frequently exceeded. Tunnels can reach heights of up to 90 meters because of poor administration and a lack of incentives to follow rules, which puts people in danger of landslides, collapse, and death. In the course of compiling this report, we discovered many such tunnels. They were extremely hot from the inside and had a lack of Oxygen. We found that, in the DRC alone, artisanal miners have dug approximately 20,000 tunnels by hand. Without a PPE kit, safety helmet, safety (hard) shoes, or gloves, the miners get into the structure. Instead of using modern, complex, and advanced technologies to dig the tunnel, they used simple instruments like hammers, gardening hoes, shafts, and even sticks and bare hands. These tunnels frequently collapse, crushing everyone within, including minors, alive. It’s a death that’s almost impossible to fathom being so horrible. These tales never transcend Congo as the world simply ignores their stories. Land conflicts Cobalt mining in the DRC has often resulted in land conflicts between local communities, mining companies, and government authorities. The government has granted mining concessions to Chinese companies without consulting local communities, leading to the displacement of people and the destruction of their livelihoods. One such case study is unfolding these days in the city of Kolwezi. Victor Fwamba, seeing an open-cast cobalt mine in Kolwezi, in the southeast of the DRC, remarked, “We’re doomed”. Kolwezi, which is home to more than 5,00,000 people, is situated atop some of the greatest mineral reserves in the world, a gold, copper, and cobalt treasure trove that powers the economies of many countries mining from them. A moat of industrial mines, a sand moonscape with gigantic open pits, access roads, and pylons already encircle the city. Yet, mining operations are encroaching farther and deeper into the city proper, uprooting thousands of residents who frequently complain about the unjust treatment. Ground reporter of IJ-Reportika talked to 7400 Congolese miners in Sicomines Copper-Cobalt Mine, Tenke Fungurume Mine, and Kolwezi Mines. Around 6077 i.e. 82% reported skin problems, 6317 i.e. 85.4% reported breathing issues and 3899 i.e 52.7% reported that they suffered major injuries in the past 1 year. To the amazement of our ground reporters, 937 miners even said someone close to them died in the past 2 years due to the disease/ injuries/mines collapse caused by the Cobalt Mining operations. Human Rights Abuses There have been reports of human rights abuses in cobalt mines in the DRC, including child labor, forced labor, and unsafe working conditions. Many of the workers are poorly paid and work in dangerous conditions without proper safety equipment or training. We found out that children as young as six years old are working in…

Impacts of Chinese DWF on the African region

Editor2 years ago1 year ago012 mins

China is consistently ranked at number 1 in the global list of 152 countries practicing Illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing. Being an industrialized nation, China has been forcing its way into other poorer countries’ Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ), forcing the local fishermen out of jobs and disrupting the local marine ecosystem. The worst hit is taken by countries in Africa, Latin America, and the Indian Ocean Region (IOR). According to our report, about 20% of the global IUU catch comes from just six western African countries – Mauritania, Senegal, the Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, and Sierra Leone. There have been multiple incidents of Chinese incursions and conflicts with the local African fishermen. Mauritania is suffering from Chinese incursions and aggressive fishing vessels since 2018. In 2020, three Mauritanian artisanal fishermen died when their boat was struck by a large Chinese Trawler. Despite being a smaller EEZ, it has been reported that the Chinese have spent over 2 million hours fishing. In Senegal and Liberia, Chinese industrialized trawlers have been denied permission in 2019 which naturally decreased Chinese activities in the region. However, the incursions of the trawlers and conflicts with local fishermen have come to light. In Cameroon, a sea area up to 3nm from the coast is reserved for artisanal and local fishermen. However, the local fishermen have accused Chinese trawlers of taking away all the catch including fingerlings and other fishes like ‘Awacha’, Mossubu, Trong Kanda, Crab, or Njenga, popular in Cameroon. The Western Sahara region has seen a massive gain in fishing activity in the past three years. Most prominent fishing regions in the West of Africa (Mid-Atlantic Ocean) are depleting due to disproportionate fishing activity. Thus, China is veering its DWF to the North-West of Africa. In 2022, China fished for over a million hours in the Western Sahara EEZ. The European Union also has its fishing fleet in Western Sahara competing for fish with its Chinese counterparts. In the competition, the loser is always the local communities of Western Sahara. In 2021, many Chinese trawlers were arrested after the Minister of Fisheries in Gabon declared a crackdown on Illegal Fishing by the Trawlers. Despite this, the presence of Chinese Trawlers at the land boundary of Gabon was seen all around the year 2022. In Ghana, a group of fishers called “Saiko” have become a source of transshipment and selling bycatch caught by Chinese trawlers to the local markets. In addition to illegal fishing, Chinese vessels are also engaged in smuggling fentanyl from China to Africa and wildlife products for Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) from Africa to China. Eastern Africa In the Eastern African region, the activity of Chinese DWF vessels has been on the rise since 2016. It has been reported that these vessels often use flags of the countries they are fishing in to hide their identity. Moreover, the People’s Liberation Army Navy is also seen escorting the fishing vessels near the choke point of the Horn of Africa in the name of providing protection from pirates. Unlike the countries in western Africa, the government of Somalia has signed agreements with Chinese fishing companies to allow Chinese long liners and trawlers in Somali waters. The island nations in East Africa like Seychelles, Mauritius, and Reunion have been permeated by Chinese long liners and squid jiggers. According to tracking data produced by OceanMind, between 2019 and 2021, 132 Chinese-flagged vessels operated in Madagascar’s EEZ, targeting the country’s inshore and offshore fisheries. Chinese investments in the country have seen a sharp rise since 2017. It was only after protests from local people that the government declared the Chinese trawling illegal, forcing them to move to Senegal. Southern Africa South Africa is rich in marine life which attracts a large number of squid jiggers in the area. In April 2020, six Chinese trawlers were detected entering the South African EEZ after being ordered out of Namibian waters. These trawlers were then detained and issued with fines by the South African authorities as they failed to produce the required permission. Issues faced due to the Chinese DWF in African waters The continuous foray of Chinese DWF vessels has caused a ton of issues in African countries ranging from environmental degradation to unemployment of local people. One of those issues is the corruption of governments. Local government officials award excessive fishing permits or take bribes from the Chinese to allow them to continue illegal fishing in the area. They avoid making arrests as they are afraid the Chinese would retract the development aid in retaliation. While the officials are busy making money, the local fishermen are struggling to make ends meet. There have been numerous protests by the locals against the livelihood crisis and environmental damage caused by the Chinese DWF vessels in Senegal, Ghana, Sierra Leone, Guinea, Nigeria, Gambia, and Togo. Because of heavy overfishing in the region, the African people are left with nothing to eat. 100 million people of Africa depend on the protein from small pelagic fishes like Sardinella that are fished by 330,000 local fishermen. As Chinese trawlers catch nothing less than 75% of the fish in the area, the local population is suffering from numerous deficiencies of essential minerals. On top of that, many of the African fishers who are working onboard some of these trawlers have accused their Chinese managers of racial abuse. They’ve stated that they have been mistreated, abused, and even threatened to be pushed overboard. Many fishers have died onboard due to the mistreatment by the authorities. Another concerning issue is that the Chinese vessels often use or rather misuse the flag of the countries they are fishing in. It was reported that Chinese vessels Yu Feng 1, 3, and 4 changed from Chinese flag to Ghanaian flag as soon as they entered Ghana’s territory. They fish under the host country’s flag as it protects them from local laws and getting caught by the AIS (Automatic Identification System) as well. The dubious practices by Chinese DWF have long affected the marine environment across the globe, polluting air,…

New exposé on the Chinese police stations around the world

Editor2 years ago2 years ago015 mins

Ij-Reportika published the addresses of the Chinese police stations present in various parts of the world in our report China opening Chinese Police Stations outside its territory. The report became a talking point on social media and even in the parliaments of various countries. The report was shared by various prominent media portals with a global presence. Many countries have started probes against Chinese police stations. This includes: Revelations on new jurisdictions Ij-reportika came to know that there are four jurisdictions that have set up stations in other countries. It includes Nantong, Wenzhou, Qingtian, and Fuzhou. We have published the stations set up by Fuzhou with the exact addresses in our previous report on police stations. All of them lie in mainland China close to the coast. Overseas Chinese Assistance Center There are many Overseas Chinese Assistance Centers spanning five continents that are indulged in activities of espionage, curbing dissent, and identifying the overseas Chinese who are pro-democracy supporters, other than the regular cover activity of assisting the Chinese diaspora. These are different from the Chinese Police Stations. The role is vaguely defined but the unethical activities performed by the two are similar and overlapping. Following are some of the details gathered by Ij-Reportika from the China Overseas Chinese Network. 　North America 　　(1) Toronto Overseas Chinese Assistance Center 　　(2) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center in San Francisco, USA 　　(3) Vancouver Overseas Chinese Help Center 　　(4) Houston Overseas Chinese Support Center 　　(5) Overseas Chinese Help Center in Montreal 　　(6) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in Minnesota, USA 　　(7) Nebraska Overseas Chinese Aid Center 　　Europe 　　(1) Overseas Chinese Support Center in Milan, Italy 　　(2) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center in Paris, France 　　(3) Spanish Overseas Chinese Aid Center 　　(4) Overseas Chinese Help Center in Ireland 　　(5) Overseas Chinese Support Center in Rome, Italy 　　(6) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center in Prato, Italy 　　(7) Overseas Chinese Support Center in London, UK 　　Central and South America 　　(1) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center in Suriname 　　(2) Overseas Chinese Help Center in Peru 　　(3) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center in Sao Paulo, Brazil 　　(4) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center 　　(5) Chile Overseas Chinese Aid Center 　　(6) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in Panama 　　(7) Argentine Overseas Chinese Aid Center 　　(8) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in Venezuela 　　Africa 　　(1) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center in Angola 　　(2) Johannesburg Overseas Chinese Assistance Center 　　(3) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in Nigeria 　　(4) Overseas Chinese Support Center in Cape Town, South Africa 　　(5) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center in Tanzania 　　Asia 　　(1) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in Yangon, Myanmar 　　(2) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in Cambodia 　　(3) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in Kazakhstan 　　(4) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in the Philippines 　　(5) Overseas Chinese Support Center in Tokyo, Japan 　　(6) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in Laos 　　(7) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in Kyrgyzstan 　　(8) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center in Chiang Mai, Thailand 　　(9) Korea Overseas Chinese Support Center 　　(10) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center in Mandalay, Myanmar 　　(11) Overseas Chinese Help Center in Sri Lanka 　　(12) Overseas Chinese Support Center in Nagoya, Japan 　　(13) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center, Hat Yai, Thailand 　　(14) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center in Ulaanbaatar 　　Oceania 　　(1) Papua New Guinea Overseas Chinese Aid Center 　　(2) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in Australia 　　(3) Overseas Chinese Assistance Center in Auckland, New Zealand 　　(4) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in Brisbane, Australia 　　(5) Overseas Chinese Aid Center in Fiji Addresses of some of the China Overseas Chinese Network uncovered by Ij-reportika are: The Chinese foreign ministry denies claims that officials backed by Beijing are running police operations abroad without the knowledge of host governments. It says the police contact points are in fact “overseas Chinese service centers,” manned by the diaspora community and set up to assist with administrative tasks such as the renewal of expired driver’s licenses. The exposé : Newly discovered Chinese police stations The most shocking presence of Chinese police stations can be seen in South Asia, South East Asia, South America, and a host of African countries. These have become the new hotspot of the Chinese police stations. The list of host nations spanned six continents, the countries which have Chinese Police Stations are: Africa Angola (1). The Nantong PSB operates one overseas police service center in the country. Ethiopia (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center. Lesotho (1). The Fuzhou PSB operates one service center in Maseru. Madagascar (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center in Antananarivo. Mongolia (1). The Fuzhou PSB operates one service center in Ulaanbaatar. Namibia (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center. Nigeria (2). The Nantong PSB operates one service center, while the Fuzhou PSB runs one in Benin City. Sudan (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center. South Africa (3). The Nantong PSB operates one service center, while the Wenzhou PSB and the Fuzhou PSB each run one contact point in Johannesburg. Tanzania (1). The Qingtian PSB operates one service center in Dar es Salaam. Zambia (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center. South America Argentina (2). The Wenzhou PSB and Fuzhou PSB each operate one service center in Buenos Aeries. Brazil (3). The Wenzhou PSB operates one service center, while the Qingtian PSB and the Fuzhou PSB run contact points in Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo, respectively. Chile (2). The Nantong PSB operates one service center, while the Fuzhou PSB runs a contact point in Viña del Mar. Ecuador (3). The Nantong PSB operates one service center, while the Qingtian PSB and the Fuzhou PSB run respective contact points in Guayaquil and Quito. Colombia (1). The Qingtian PSB operates one service center in Bogotà. Cuba (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center. Peru (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center. Asia Bangladesh (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center. Brunei (1). The Fuzhou PSB operates one service center in Bandar Seri Begawan. Cambodia (2). The Nantong PSB operates one service center, while the Qingtian PSB has a contact point in Phnom Penh. Israel (1). The Nantong PSB operates one service center. Japan (2). The Nantong PSB operates one service center, while the Fuzhou…

Asia Fact Check Lab: Did NATO donate HIV-infected blood to Ukraine?

Editor2 years ago012 mins

During the past two weeks, a conspiracy theory alleging that NATO members had donated HIV and hepatitis-infected blood to Ukraine was originally posted and spread on Weibo by “Guyan Muchan,” an influential account with more than 6 million followers. Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) tracked down and confirmed the pro-Putin Telegram channel Breaking Mash as the disinformation’s source. Further inquiries by the Ukraine-based fact-checking organization StopFake caused the Ukrainian government to release a formal statement debunking the disinformation. On Nov. 3, Guyan Muchan, a widely followed Weibo user, published a post claiming to reveal a tainted blood scandal involving NATO and Ukraine. The statement reads: “Ukraine asked NATO to provide more than 60,000 liters of blood for wounded soldiers in the Odessa, Nikolaev, Dnepropetrovsk, Kharkov and Zaporozhye regions. NATO member countries provided Ukraine with canned blood. However, Ukrainian medical staff found HIV and hepatitis B and C viruses in the blood after random examinations. Kiev has written to NATO requesting an independent assessment of the donor blood and asking that blood “not be collected on the African continent.” In the first group, 6.3% of the samples had HIV, 7.4% had hepatitis B and 3.2% had hepatitis C. In the second group: 5.9%, 6.8% and 3.1%, respectively. The information is obtained by leaked files after the Ukrainian government office computers were hacked.” The post contained three images. The first was a picture of a statement that hackers allegedly had obtained confidential documents from Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal’s email. The second was an alleged letter from Ukraine’s Minister of Health to Shmyhal. The third was the English translation of the letter. Each image’s background contained the word “mash” as a watermark, which AFCL used to trace the post back to its original source. Guyan Muchan is one of China’s “patriotic” influencers who in recent years rose to fame by pandering to domestic nationalist sentiment. Her post claiming the use of tainted blood was liked by hundreds of people, with other influential social media figures reposting it to millions more. This “news” swiftly spread on a number of Chinese language websites, including the popular internet news portal 163.com. What is the claim’s source? AFCL was unable to find any reports about the claim from credible English media outlets. A few English websites with poor news credibility did repost it, including the pro-Russia website info.news and the gun-lover community forum snipershide.com. A slew of unreliable Twitter accounts have also posted the claim in English. Chief among them is ZOKA, a user with more than 105,000 followers. Marcus Kolga, director at DisinfoWatch, a fact-checking project under the Macdonald-Laurier Institute in Canada, told AFCL that ZOKA is a “well-known pro-Kremlin account.” AFCL also found the Russian version of the claim being spread on many websites, forums and social media platforms. After comparing both the publishing time and watermark, AFCL traced the claim back to a post on the Telegram channel “Breaking Mash,” first published at 1 a.m. on Nov. 3. The original post has since gained over 1a million views. Breaking Mash is the official Telegram channel of the Russian-language website Mash.ru. The website’s content is full of lies and is highly aligned with Moscow’s propaganda, according to Christine Eliashevsky-Chraibi, a media veteran and translator at Euromaidan Press. Mash senior staff are suspected of being close to the Russian government, with company executive Stepan Kovalchuk’s uncles, Kirill and Yuri Kovalchuk, marked as “elites close to Putin” by the United States.S. In sum, both the claim’s original Russian source along with the English websites and social media accounts that spread the claim all suffer from low credibility. Is the claim true? AFCL deems the Guyan Muchan post to be false. It came from a pro-Russia Telegram channel with low credibility. The Ukraine Ministry of Health refuted the claim in a statement offering more details about blood donation in Ukraine. The claim alleges that the “scoop” was leaked from the hacked email of Ukraine’s prime minister, Denys Shmyhal. But no credible media outlets reported on the leaked emails.The statements the claim relies on use questionable language that normally would not be appropriate for official documents. For example, the claim alleges that the mMinister of hHealth demanded that NATO’s donor blood “not be collected on the African continent.” The possibility of such racist language appearing in a formal government document is unlikely. Eliashevsky-Chraibi said the alleged government letter is “very suspicious” as there’s “no date, no signature, no stamp” and it was “not formal procedure.” Through the Ukraine based fact-checking organization StopFake, AFCL checked with the Ukrainian government regarding the veracity of this claim. On Nov. 7, the Ukrainian Ministry of Health published a statement on its official website refuting the claim. Ukraine has never requested blood donations from any organization outside of the country, and all donor blood needed for the battlefield comes from within Ukraine and meets European standards, according to the ministry’s statement. Whenever there is an urgent need at a blood center, people respond quickly to requests for donations, negating the need for any supplies from outside of the country. The statement adds that Ukraine does not have a “random sampling” system of donor blood. Instead, it tests all donations to ensure they are safe and reliable. The alleged letter from Ukraine’s Minister of Health is a forgery, the statement says. The allegation about blood donated to Ukraine originated on the Russian telegram channel Breaking Mash [left] and then was picked up by a pro-Kremlin account on Twitter [center] and a few hours later by an account on Weibo [right] with 6.44 million fans. Credit: Asia Fact Check Lab screenshots Background Information In late October, the Kyiv Post, a leading English newspaper in Ukraine, published a report that Russia’s Wagner private military company had recruited Russian prisoners suffering from severe infectious diseases, in particular HIV and hepatitis C. This news bears some similarities with the claim made on the Breaking Mash Telegram channel, including the mention of HIV, hepatitis and the war, but…

Biden steps up engagement with ASEAN amid China rivalry and global conflict

Editor2 years ago012 mins

UPDATED AT 06:15 p.m. ET OF 11-12-2022 U.S. President Joe Biden offered rare praise for Cambodia’s authoritarian premier as he encouraged diplomatic support for ending the war in Ukraine and bringing peace to Myanmar at a summit with Southeast Asian leaders on Saturday. Although the control of U.S. Congress lies in the balance back in Washington, Biden signaled commitment to the region by attending an annual gathering of leaders of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. His appearance in Phnom Penh, a day after attending a climate change conference in Egypt, serves as a prelude to the first face-to-face meeting of his presidency with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, which will take place in Bali, Indonesia, on Monday. The U.S. and China vie for influence in Southeast Asia. Although Cambodia has faced some stiff criticism from the U.S. over its suppression of democracy, Prime Minister Hun Sen welcomed the president saying the meeting showed the Biden administration’s commitment to “ASEAN centrality and a rule-based regional architecture to maintain peace and stability in the region.” “We support the engagement of the U.S in our ASEAN community building process as truly important, especially in the context of bolstering ASEAN’s recovery from the COVID-19 crisis, promoting regional resilience as well as addressing many pressing issues such as climate change, food and energy security,” he said, adding that ASEAN planned to extend relations with the U.S. to a comprehensive strategic partnership. That will put the U.S. on level-pegging with China, which already has that status. Cambodia is hosting the summit as it holds the rotating chairmanship of the 10-nation ASEAN bloc. Indonesia takes the chair after this week’s summits. Biden stressed the importance of the partnership, saying the U.S administration would build on the past year’s U.S. $250 million in new initiatives with ASEAN by requesting a further $850 million for the next 12 months. He said it would pay for more Southeast Asian projects such as an integrated electric vehicle ecosystem and clean energy infrastructure to reduce carbon emissions. “Together we will tackle the biggest issues of our time from climate to health security, defend against significant threats to rule-based order, and to threats to the rule of law, and to build an Indo-Pacific that’s free and open, stable and prosperous, resilient and secure,” Biden said. The linchpin of the U.S. push in Southeast Asia is the Indo-Pacific Economic Partnership (IPEF) that is intended to intensify America’s economic engagement in the region. ASEAN is America’s fourth-largest trading partner. Whether the members of ASEAN will be impressed by what the U.S. has to offer is another matter. “I don’t think ASEAN states are much sold on IPEF. It contains parts that are anathema to them and yet isn’t really a trade deal, and does little to actually further regional economic integration. It’s a fairly weak package overall,” said Joshua Kurlantzick, senior fellow for Southeast Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations. “China is already by far the region’s dominant economy and trade partner and the U.S. isn’t going to materially change that. Southeast Asian states are stuck with China as their dominant economic partner. “For some Southeast Asian states [there is] a desire to build closer strategic ties with the U.S, but the U.S. is not going to now replace China as the region’s dominant trade partner.” CAPTION: U.S. President Joe Biden meets with 2022 ASEAN Chair and Cambodia’s Prime Minister Hun Sen at the ASEAN summit in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, Nov. 12, 2022. CREDIT: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque In a comment that would have raised some eyebrows among critics of the Cambodian government’s human rights record, Biden on Saturday thanked Hun Sen – for critical remarks about the war in Ukraine and for co-sponsoring U.N resolutions. Earlier this week, Hun Sen met with the Ukrainian foreign minister. He’s also expressed concern about recent attacks on Ukrainian cities and civilian casualties. Russian President Vladimir Putin has skipped the ASEAN summit and sent Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in his place. However, Biden did call for transparency over Chinese military activities at Ream Naval base on Cambodia’s southern coast, and urged Hun Sen “to reopen civic and political space ahead of 2023 elections,” and release Theary Seng, an imprisoned U.S.-Cambodian lawyer and activist. The other conflict that Biden mentioned in his public comments to ASEAN leaders was Myanmar, whose military leader was not invited to the summit. Biden said he looked forward to the return of democracy there. Human rights groups have assailed the Southeast Asian bloc for its failure to put more pressure on Myanmar to end the civil war that followed a February 2021 military coup against an elected government. On Friday, ASEAN leaders took a marginally tougher stand, calling for measurable progress toward the goals of its Five Point Consensus that include restoring democracy and delivering humanitarian aid. On Saturday Antonio Guterres voiced his support for the plan, saying “the systematic violation of human rights are absolutely unacceptable and causing enormous suffering to the Myanmarese people.” Cambodia, which has jailed opposition politicians and environmentalists, was not spared criticism by the U.N. secretary general. “My appeal in a country like Cambodia is for the public space to be open and for human rights defenders and climate activists to be protected,” he said. Biden attends the East Asia Summit on Sunday, also hosted by Cambodia, where he plans once again to discuss ways to end the Russian invasion of Ukraine and limit the global impact of the war in terms of fuel and grain shortages that are fueling global inflation. The U.S. president is also holding talks with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol expected to focus on North Korea’s recent barrage of missiles fired into the seas off the Korean peninsula — including one that passed over Japan. North Korea is also reported to be planning a nuclear test. Biden then heads to the Indonesian island of Bali to attend the Group of 20 leaders’ summit. Ahead of the G20, on…

China's three-pronged approach towards African Colonisation

Africa’s sovereignty at risk due to Chinese Police Stations, Security Firms and Military Bases

Editor2 years ago2 years ago08 mins

Africa’s sovereignty at risk due to Chinese Police Stations, Security Firms and Military Bases Since 2012, over 200K Chinese workers have migrated to Africa to work on the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). The number of Chinese immigrants on the continent is over 1 million. The number of Chinese companies operating in Africa is over 10,000, including over 2,000 state-owned enterprises (SOEs). However, the Africans are paying a hefty price for this: their SOVEREIGNTY. This investigative report reveals some of the darkest secrets of African BRI and how their sovereignty is at risk. The Chinese Police Stations Ij-Reportika published a story on Chinese overseas Police stations and legal firms worldwide. The report got the attention of the world media. Many countries like the USA, Ireland, and Canada started probing these stations. “These overseas police stations have been set up to antagonize China’s adversaries. Not only this, but with the help of these police posts, the Chinese government is also influencing the elections in the respective countries. Furthermore, these stations are controlling the activities of the Overseas Chinese Diaspora and espionage cases have also been reported.” Chinese overseas Police stations report by Ij-Reportika African countries are also in the garb of similar overseas Chinese operations. The following countries have reported the presence of these police stations within their territories: S.no Country City 1 Nigeria Benin City 2 Lesotho Maseru 3 Tanzania Dar es Salaam African cities with Chinese Police Stations FUZHOU Police operates police stations in Lesotho and Nigeria and QINGTIAN Police in Tanzania. Our South Asia Analyst, Hwa-Young revealed that both Fuzhou and Qingtian are in proximity to Taiwan, and these police stations keep a tab on any activities involving Taiwan in other countries. The police stations also oversee the movement of goods like illegally traded wildlife products and smuggled African raw materials to Shipping ports of Fuzhou and Qintian from African coasts and drugs such as Fentanyl from China to Africa. The Chinese Security Firms in Africa Not only the state-run police stations, but China has also established a network of state-controlled Private Security Companies (PSCs) in Africa to supposedly safeguard the Chinese working on the BRI from attacks by the native Africans. The safety of its assets and securing sea routes, threatened by piracy along the African coasts, provided China a pretext for ‘interference’ in Africa through its PSCs. In recent times, Chinese interests in Africa have been experiencing threats due to conflicts with locals. Organized crimes such as illegal wildlife trade for Traditional Chinese Medicines have seen the involvement of Chinese nationals giving rise to conflicts. Further, BRI is misused by the PSCs to enhance their footprint in Africa. Here is a series of maps of the presence of Chinese PSCs in African countries. Military Bases As per a 2021 report of the US Department of Defence, China ‘may have considered’ military installations in 13 African countries, including Angola, Kenya, Seychelles, Namibia and Tanzania to expand its military footprint. Meanwhile, China has established a naval base in Djibouti to station a ‘Rapid Reaction Force’ for covering Africa. The base has the capacity to house 10,000 soldiers against the provision of deployment of 1000 soldiers in the Chinese-Djiboutian Agreement. In August 2021, China announced its intent to build its first naval base on the Atlantic coast at Bata in Equatorial Guinea, to look after its oil and commercial interests along West coast of Africa. If these bases are also materialized, Most of the African countries will lose their sovereignty forever!! Chinese investments in Africa and connection with the military bases According to the China-Africa Research Initiative, China has lent more than $155 billion to African governments to finance BRI projects. According to The Heritage Foundation, China has built nearly 200 government buildings in over 40 African countries, developed 70% of the continent’s 4G networks, and even built sensitive intra-governmental communications networks for 14 countries. China even fully financed the African Union (AU) headquarters in Ethiopia. In 2018, President Xi Jinping announced the creation of a $60 billion pot of Chinese money specially earmarked for development projects in Africa. Long story short: China is supplying the money that Africa badly needs with vicious long-term plans. These investments are excellent for the development of Africa but worst for its sovereignty. If Xi wants to locate a new military base on the continent, he is likely to find a host of national leaders who are more than happy to welcome him. This is where the crux of the problem lies.

Category: Africa