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Strategic Vision vol. 10, no. 48 (February, 2021)
Balancing Growth Weighing the pros and cons of Chinese BRI infrastructure projects in Africa Letsiwe Portia Magongo & Ruei-Lin Yu
photo: Joe Harwood Sailors with the People’s Liberation Army Navy march in a military parade in Djibouti City celebrating the country’s 40th annual Independence Day.
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ast African countries have an important strategic importance for China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI). Kenya, Somalia, and Tanzania lie at the western edge of the Indian Ocean and provide China with crucial access to Africa, whereas Djibouti and Egypt are full-fledged
this region, it is necessary to develop a clear-eyed view of the beneficial, as well as detrimental, impacts of China’s BRI on the countries of East Africa. The progress of the BRI in East Africa is evident from the ambitious infrastructure projects undertaken in its name. Chinese companies have launched a
BRI partners in close proximity to the Mediterranean Sea, and therefore help connect China to Europe. Given the recent expansion of Beijing’s influence in
range of construction projects on harbors, highways, and railways. In Kenya, the main BRI development projects are the construction of a modern port at
Letsiwe Portia Magongo is a student at the ROC National Defense University. Dr. Ruei-Lin Yu is a professor at the ROC National Defense University.