Over the past 25 years, China’s military engagement with Africa has grown dramatically. In 2000, fewer than 5% of African weapons came from China. Today, Chinese-made armored vehicles are used by 70% of African militaries, and China has become the continent’s largest arms supplier.

Officer training programs have followed a similar trajectory. At the turn of the century, fewer than 200 African officers were trained in China; today, that number exceeds 2,000.

Paul Nantulya, a veteran China–Africa military analyst and research associate at the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, joins Eric and Cobus to unpack his latest findings on how Beijing is deepening its defense ties across the continent.

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