To safeguard its commercial interests, China is allegedly enlisting retired members of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) as covert security contractors throughout Africa.
China’s involvement in commerce and investment in Africa at the start of the twenty-first century was essentially nonexistent. It became Africa’s largest commercial partner in 2009, surpassing the US, and by 2020, as part of the Belt and Road Initiative, it had invested more than $60 billion in projects in Africa, out of the $139 billion it had invested globally.
More than 10,000 Chinese businesses are engaged in various BRI projects in Africa. According to the US-based Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, more than 200,000 Chinese labourers were employed to staff these projects as of 2018.
The Middle Kingdom’s inconsistent stance on non-interference surprises observers of the country; according to Zhao Lijian, spokesman for the foreign office, “China always adheres to the concept of non-interference in other nations’ internal affairs.” The left-leaning Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in Germany, which supports alternative ideas for social revolution in Germany and other parts of the world, has revealed this sham.
Related Posts
According to this organisation, there are nine Chinese private security companies (PSCs), which are dispersed across more than 40 African nations and are in charge of overseeing the safety of Chinese engineers, administrators, and others working on the continent’s ambitious BRI infrastructure development projects.
In the African nations of Sudan, South Sudan, Mozambique, Senegal, and Angola, Beijing DeWe Security Services employs 20,000 security personnel, the majority of whom are former members of the PLA. For Chinese interests, these security men watch, escort, defend marine interests, and protect sites.
Also Read: Top 10 richest musicians in Zimbabwe 2022
The Foundation added that China Security Technology Group, which was founded in 2016, employs 30,000 security personnel in Algeria, Sudan, South Sudan, and other African nations, many of whom are also former PLA members. For China-led projects across the continent, these security officers offer armed protection, armed escorts, and assistance with security assessments.
According to subject matter experts, China Overseas Security Group and Hua Xin Zhong An Security are two more Chinese security companies with 21,000 and 20,000 well-trained security personnel, respectively, maning BRI projects in Ethiopia, Kenya, and other African nations.
