How a ‘military vacuum’ in West and Central Africa opened new markets for China

As France’s influence fades and with Russian weapons in limited supply, a “military vacuum” has been created in West and Central Africa that China is uniquely positioned to fill, according to analysts.

In a January report in the official journal China Military to Civilian, arms supplier China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation said Beijing was leveraging its reputation for “cost-effective technology and flexible financing” in Africa.

This follows a wave of military coups across the Sahel since 2020 – including in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger – that has ended traditional alliances and security frameworks, with French forces withdrawing from the region after a long-running counterterrorism campaign.

The French “military vacuum” was identified as providing “space for the expansion of China’s military trade”, the report in the journal of the State Administration of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defence said.

The report also said there were “market substitution opportunities” for Chinese weapons in the region as the use of French and Russian arms declined.

Russia’s ability to provide arms and equipment support to overseas customers has been hindered by the Ukraine war.

South China Morning Post