Global Security and Intelligence Studies Volume 2, Issue 1, Fall 2016 | Page 88

Global Security and Intelligence Studies
arms transfers/military relationships with African countries and simultaneous active
engagement in peacebuilding activities in African countries where its weapons have
been implicated in bloodletting and war crimes in general. In other words, what are
the geopolitical and geo-economic rationales for increasing Chinese arms transfers
and military relationships with African nations in contrast to its contributions to UN
peacebuilding efforts and support for African peacekeeping activities? How do arms
transfers to African nations and involvement in peacebuilding activities portray China
as playing contradictory roles in Africa? What are the conflict and peace implications
for African countries of these seemingly contradictory activities by China?
For a long time, arms transfers to Africa have been dominated by the US,
Britain, France, and Russia (Grant 2012; Pierre, 1982. However, recent trends in
Chinese industrialization and China’s growing scope of political, economic, and
diplomatic activities may suggest that a fundamental shift in arms transfers to Africa
may be occurring that, over time, could have important consequences for increased
internal wars or peacekeeping operations in the continent.
The literature on arms transfers has long suggested that arms transfers to
developing countries tend to widen the scope of violence and even intensify or increase
the duration of wars thereby making the maintenance of peace more difficult (Klare
2014; Sanders 1990; Schelling 2008). At times bilateral arms transfer relationships take
the added form of arms production, whereby the supplier sets up arms production
facilities in the recipient country.
Reasons for Antithetical Policies
The primary reason why China pursues these seemingly antithetical policies in
Africa is found in its overall geo-strategy in the continent. This geo-strategy
is a combination of geopolitical and geo-economic policies. The latter refers
to the economic objective of ensuring access to Africa’s strategic resources, while the
former refers to consolidating political ties with all African states, especially with
the politically important ones. First, China sees African states such as Kenya, South
Africa, Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe, among
others, as countries with which to engage in lucrative trade (hence arms sales) as part
of its geo-economic rivalry with the West. At the same time there are countries in
Africa that need peacebuilding and peacekeeping assistance because of ongoing civil
wars or postwar reconstruction. Accordingly, China participates in both peacekeeping
and peacebuilding activities which help to strengthen its geopolitical ties with these
African states. These humanitarian activities present opportunities for China to put
into practice its frequent pronouncements that it is a friend of Africa.
China’s policy of non-interference in human rights within the recipient country
makes it an attractive and willing source of weapons for African countries. Since
many African countries attempt to break free of Western rules and regulations about
arms procurement, they turn to China which does not burden them with external
impositions associated with arms transfers and production, such as human rights, or
democratic ideals. Besides, where an arms production facility/factory is set up within
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