The top US general for Africa warns that a growing threat from China may come not only from the waters of the Pacific, but also from the Atlantic. US General Stephen Townsend, in an interview with The Associated Press, said that Beijing is seeking to establish a large naval port capable of hosting submarines or aircraft carriers on the west coast of Africa. Townsend said China has reached out to countries stretching from Mauritania to southern Namibia, with the intention of establishing a naval facility. If realized, that prospect would allow China to base warships in its expanding Navy in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. “They are looking for a place where they can rearm and repair warships. That becomes useful militarily in conflicts,” said Townsend, who heads the US Africa Command. “There is a long way to establish that in Djibouti. Now they are looking at the Atlantic coast and they want to have a base like that.”
Townsend’s warnings come as the Pentagon shifts its focus from the counterterrorism wars of the past two decades to the Indo-Pacific region and threats from major power adversaries like China and Russia. The Biden administration views China’s rapidly expanding economic clout and military power as America’s top long-term security challenge. American military commanders around the world, including several who may lose troops and resources to fuel growth in the Pacific, warn that China’s growing assertiveness is not just happening in Asia. And they argue that Beijing is aggressively asserting its economic influence over countries in Africa, South America and the Middle East, and is seeking foundations and footholds there. “The Chinese are outperforming the United States in select countries in Africa,” Townsend said. “Port projects, economic endeavors, infrastructure and their agreements and contracts will lead to greater access in the future. They are hedging their bets and making big bets in Africa.”
China’s first overseas naval base was built years ago in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa and is constantly increasing its capacity. Townsend said up to 2,000 military personnel are at the base, including hundreds of Marines who are responsible for security there. “They have weapons and ammunition for sure. They have armored fighting vehicles. We believe they will soon be basing helicopters there to potentially include attack helicopters,” Townsend said. For some time, many have thought that China was working to establish a naval base in Tanzania, a country on the east coast of Africa, which has had a strong and enduring military relationship with Beijing. But Townsend said it appears that no decision has been made yet. He said that while China has been trying to get a base in Tanzania, it is not the location that worries him the most.
“It’s on the Indian Ocean side,” he said. “I want it to be in Tanzania rather than the Atlantic coast. The Atlantic coast worries me a lot,” he said, pointing to the relatively shortest distance between the west coast of Africa and the US In nautical miles, a base in the North Africa’s Atlantic coast could be substantially closer to the US than the military installations in China on the US west coast.More specifically, other US officials say that the Chinese have been looking for locations for a port in the Gulf of Guinea. The 2020 Defense Department report on China’s military might said China has likely considered adding military facilities to support its naval, air and ground forces in Angola, among other places. And he noted that the large amount of oil and liquefied natural gas imported from Africa and the Middle East make those regions a high priority for China for the next 15 years. Henry Tugendhat, a senior policy analyst at the US Institute of Peace, said China has many economic interests on the west coast of Africa, including fishing and oil. China has also helped finance and build a large commercial port in Cameroon. He said that any effort by Beijing to obtain a naval port on the Atlantic coast would be an expansion of China’s military presence. But the desire for access to the ocean, he said, may be primarily for economic gain, rather than military capabilities. Townsend and other regional military commanders raised concerns about China during recent congressional hearings. He, along with Admiral Craig Faller, head of the US Southern Command, and General Frank McKenzie, head of the US Central Command, are fighting to retain their military forces, aircraft and surveillance assets. as the Pentagon continues to review the shift to a great power. competence. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin is conducting a global posture review to determine whether America’s military might is positioned where it needs to be, and in the right number, around the world to better maintain global dominance. That review is expected to be completed by late summer.
