Xi Jinping Proposes Expanded Military and Technological Cooperation with Africa at 2024 FOCAC Summit

President Xi Jinping on Thursday sought to strengthen military ties with African nations and proposed establishing a joint forum to enhance cooperation in nuclear technology, satellite remote sensing, and deep-space exploration.

Expansion of Clean Energy and Technological Cooperation

Addressing the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC), Xi said China is ready to launch 30 clean energy projects in Africa, put in place meteorological early warning systems, and carry out cooperation in disaster prevention, and mitigation and relief as well as biodiversity conservation.

"We will create a China-Africa forum on the peaceful use of nuclear technology, establish together 30 joint laboratories, and collaborate on satellite remote sensing and lunar and deep-space exploration. All this is designed to help with green development in Africa," he said at the event attended by over 20 African heads of state and government.

Uncertainty Over Nuclear Power Plants

However, it remains unclear whether China intends to build nuclear power plants in Africa, similar to its cooperation with Pakistan.

Elevating China-Africa Relations

The collaboration on nuclear and space technologies will help modernise African countries, Xi said.

He also spoke of elevating China-Africa relations to an all-weather partnership, a term typically used to describe China's close ties with Pakistan.

“I propose that bilateral relations between China and all African countries having diplomatic ties with China be elevated to the level of strategic relations and that the overall characterisation of China-Africa relations be elevated to an all-weather China-Africa community with a shared future,” Xi said.

Financial and Military Assistance

He said China will give Africa a billion RMB (approximately USD 142 million) of grant assistance, and provide training for 6,000 military personnel and 1,000 police and law enforcement officers from Africa. The president invited 500 young African military officers to visit China.

The two sides will conduct joint exercises, training and patrol, carry out an “action for a mine-free Africa,” and jointly ensure the safety of personnel and projects, he said.

No Major Investments This Year

Beyond these announcements aimed at expanding China's technological presence in the African continent, where it has already established a strong foothold through large-scale investments in infrastructure and mining, as well as substantial loans that have raised concerns about debt diplomacy, leaving many countries struggling to repay, Xi did not announce any major, big-ticket investments, unlike in previous Africa summits.

Xi had pledged USD 60 billion in similar China-Africa summits in 2015 and 2018, followed by USD 40 billion in 2021.

This year, however, considering the economic crisis faced by China, there were no big pledges, experts opine.

Instead, Xi offered to implement 1,000 “small and beautiful” livelihood projects in African countries On the military front, China has been providing training for African militaries, including hundreds of senior commanders who have been trained in People's Liberation Army (PLA) institutions.

China’s Military Influence in Africa

China was also the largest arms supplier for sub-Saharan Africa between 2019 and 2023, providing a 19 percent share of the total arms imports and narrowly overtaking Russia, which had long taken the top spot and accounted for 17 percent of imports over that period, according to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

China is also a major supplier of equipment such as drones, tanks and armoured vehicles to Africa, the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post reported.

Western Response and China’s Long-Term Strategy

Liselotte Odgaard, a senior fellow at Washington-based think tank Hudson Institute, said China’s long-term focus on Africa meant it did not just see it as “a source of strategic resources” but was also trying “to build political relations and listen to the views and interests of African elites which were not a high priority for most Western countries”.

“The Chinese influence also has a security dimension, which Chinese military aid reflects,” Odgaard told the Post.

“Only now is the West trying to seriously counter China’s influence by listening to the voices of Africa...The question is if such efforts are too little too late,” he said.