China to establish first permanent military presence on African Atlantic coast

U.S. officials believe China is taking steps to establish its first permanent military presence on the Atlantic Ocean, citing Equatorial Guinea as the most likely location, The Wall Street Journal reported based on classified U.S. intelligence.

Equatorial Guinea is a former Spanish colony on Africa’s west coast that struck oil in 1995 and has since been cited as a textbook case of the resource curse. It’s leader, Obiang Nguema is Africa's longest serving head of state and has been described by rights organizations as one Africa's most brutal dictators.

American officials have not yet revealed the full details of China’s plans in Equatorial Guinea, but warn that Beijing’s presence on Africa’s Atlantic coast could threaten U.S. interests and give Chinese warships a place to rearm and refit.

Gen. Stephen Townsend, commander of the U.S. Africa Command, testified to the Senate in April and warned that China’s “most significant threat” would be “a militarily useful naval facility on the Atlantic coast of Africa.” 

“By militarily useful I mean something more than a place that they can make port calls and get gas and groceries. I’m talking about a port where they can rearm with munitions and repair naval vessels,” he explained.

Jon Finer, the Biden administration’s chief national security advisor, traveled to Equatorial Guinea last October to meet with Nguema and urge him to reject Beijing’s proposal.

“As part of our diplomacy to address maritime-security issues, we have made clear to Equatorial Guinea that certain potential steps involving [Chinese] activity there would raise national-security concerns,” a senior Biden administration official told the Journal.

Tensions between China and the U.S. have remained high in recent months and there has been increased concern surrounding China’s military activity in the South China Sea.

Last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that there would be “terrible consequences” if China were to use military force against Taiwan – one of the West’s key strategic allies.

"I hope that China's leaders think very carefully about this and about not precipitating a crisis that would have, I think, terrible consequences for lots of people, and one that's in no one's interest, starting with China," Blinken said Friday.

China has long been asserting its influence in Africa and last month Chinese President Xi Jinping announced that China would provide an additional 1 billion doses of COVID-19 vaccines to Africa.