China's increasing influence in Africa poses serious threat to United States: US AFRICOM chief

Washington: “China has initiated movements to establish its military base in the African countries from the Atlantic Ocean region. This Chinese military movement poses a threat to the United States. This growing Chinese threat to the US security may not just come from the Pacific Ocean, but also the Atlantic Ocean,” warned Commander of US Africa Command Gen. Stephen Townsend, during an interview with an international news agency.

Only last month, Gen. Townsend had warned the Biden administration not to neglect Africa and closely monitor the Chinese investments here. Moreover, the General warned that China’s financial and military investments in Africa could pose a significant threat to the United States. The army and naval bases China has been constructing in the eastern African nations, apart from Djibouti, Gen. Townsend reminded. Besides, he also drew attention to the fact that China had declared these bases as its ‘fifth island chain’.

Like the fifth island chain, Chinese military movements in western Africa and their rising influence across the African nations threaten the United States, Gen. Townsend highlighted. China is trying to build its naval base in the western African countries near the Atlantic Ocean, where it can deploy its aircraft carrier warships and submarines. Gen. Townsend also claimed that China has approached countries ranging from Mauritania to Namibia to establish this naval facility. If this happens, the Chinese maritime influence will extend from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, warned Gen. Townsend.

“China is looking for a place where they can rearm and repair warships. That becomes militarily useful in conflict. It is a long way toward establishing that in Djibouti. Now, it plans to construct such a base in a western African nation as well,” Gen. Townsend said. The AFRICOM chief further expressed his concern saying, “China is trying to outmanoeuvre the US by increasing financial and military investments in African nations. Port projects, economic endeavours, infrastructure and their agreements and contracts will lead to greater access in Africa in the future.”

General Townsend also said that “China is reportedly working to establish a military base in Tanzania on Africa’s eastern coast. If this is true, it’s not a cause for concern for the United States, as Tanzania base will lie in the Indian Ocean Region. However, if China builds its base on the Atlantic coast, it will add to our concerns”. Thus, the AFRICOM Commander clarified that a Chinese base on the side of the Indian Ocean does not concern the United States.

Even though the Chinese base in Tanzania does not concern the United States, the base near the Indian Ocean can pose a grave threat to India’s security interests.

China is in the effort of systematically establishing its maritime superiority. For the last few years, instead of challenging a superpower such as the United States directly, China has been working on growing its influence carefully in the seas. But now, these Chinese tactics have surfaced before the world. Thus, the prime economies of the world have become cautious towards China’s expansionist policies. Under such circumstances, the US AFRICOM chief’s warning denotes that China’s challenge has become even more severe.