By Martin Minns
A recent incident in the Red Sea, during which a Chinese vessel allegedly targeted a Germany aircraft with a laser point, marked a disturbing development for Djibouti and indeed Africa.
While China continues to expand its military and political influence on the world stage, it is vital that African leaders recognise the trade-offs that further support for Chinese objectives can have on their countries and citizens.
Not too long ago, the German Foreign Ministry summoned the Chinese ambassador in Germany, seeking an explanation for what happened during the Red Sea incident. According to the German Defence Ministry, the plane conducting routine flights to monitor potential attacks on commercial ships was allegedly targeted with a laser.
The plane had to abort its mission and return to base in Djibouti where China’s navy, also known as the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), has also established a major naval base.
This is not the first time that an incident like this has happened. In 2018, the US said that two pilots of a transport aircraft suffered minor injuries because of a military grade laser attack. Australia has also accused China of similar incidents in recent years.
China denies the German incident took place and has pushed back aggressively on the accusations. This notwithstanding, the alleged incident raises distributing questions for the government of Djibouti and governments across the region.
Strategic interests
Of course, China has a right to operate as it sees fit to meet its own national and strategic interests. However, in doing so, it drags in other African nations who may be potentially pulled into incidents and issues not of their making but that could have significant diplomatic and military consequences.
Any sovereign State must be able to make decisions in the best interests of its people, and the presence of Chinese naval assets makes this a complex process for any African nation. Issues such as this will become increasingly common for African nations as China seeks to expand its presence across the continent.
Launched in 2022, the Global Security Initiative (GSI) is China’s latest attempt to exert its presence on the world stage. The GSI seeks to deepen the security relationship with African nations while expanding Chinese influence on the world stage.
China has continued to expand its network of port projects across the continent. It is now estimated there are nearly 80 Chinese owned or operated deepwater ports, nearly half of which have hosted PLAN port calls or military exercises. This indicates that these ports could play a military as well as commercial role over the coming years.
While these projects bring immediate economic or commercial benefits to their host nations, they also create challenges that must be considered.
For African nations, this will potentially mean further aggressive incidents such as the alleged one in the Red Sea. Governments will have to decide carefully what this could mean for them, their sovereignty and ability to decide on the best of interests of their citizens, not just serving Chinese political or military objectives.
The writer is a British journalist based in Kenya.
Email your news TIPS to Editor@nairobilawmonthly.com, and to advertise with us, call +254715061658 anytime of the day
