Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon

Modernising the Chinese Military and the the African Connection

Chinese rearmament

• Why?

• Power Projection

• Capacity

• Systems

• ……….Africa

The PLA

• Population shrinking• Economy growing• International role

expanding• Military service less

popular• More firepower for

less manpower

Power Projection (1): Carrier Programme

Power Projection (2): HDL Programme

1421:The year China discovered the world

1421: China a Military Superpower

Soviet and Cuban Contributions

Chinese arms to Africa

• Small Arms and Landmines

• Anti-Aircraft systems• Recycled • Remain active

Continued Support

Oil, Copper, Cobalt

Unwelcome Guests?

The String of Pearls 1

The String of Pearls 2

• Hambantota, Sri Lanka

• 1bn $ USD• Bunkering• Repair facilities• Building capacity• Communications

Sri Lanka and China: The price

• End of 26 year conflict with LTTE

• 105,000 IDPs• Further 2bn $USD in aid to Sri

Lankan Government• Political Security of Sri Lankan

Government• Securitization and Militarization

of Sri Lanka• Sri Lanka now firmly in

Chinese hegemonic circle

US and Chinese Rivalry

Is China really a threat?

• Internal problems• Political system• Lack of naval (military) expertise and

tradition• Technically backward• No military innovation• Financially unstable – yuan undervalued• Few genuine allies