A Systemic Analysis of China's Military and Security Diplomacy in Africa

Document Type : Original Research

Author
M. J. Ghahramani
University of Tehran
Abstract


China’s increasing power and its vision for future global positioning significantly influence its overall foreign policy, particularly regarding Africa. As China’s influence has expanded, it has extended beyond its immediate region to the entire world. While China’s policy toward Africa has primarily focused on economic and trade relations for decades, its military and security diplomacy have also experienced notable shifts. In this context, an important question arises: how can the current characteristics of China’s military and security diplomacy in Africa be analyzed? The response suggests that Beijing, through military and security diplomacy characterized by Chinese features, seeks to present itself as a security-building actor. This approach aims to gradually undermine the legitimacy of the existing international order predominantly led by the United States while enhancing China’s role in shaping international agendas and norms related to security. However, this does not imply that China ignores the power gap between itself and the US or adopts a purely revisionist stance toward the international system. Using a descriptive-analytical methodology, this research examines the current structure of the international system and its influence on China’s military and security diplomacy in Africa.

Keywords

Subjects

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