Abstract
As Chinese engagement in Africa grows, questions surrounding its role in security have become more prominent. The issue of security is a broad one ranging from China’s role in regional security with international organisations to the role of se-curing assets and personnel. This forum piece addresses some of these concerns, with a particular focus on South Sudan. While the Chinese state has been relative-ly adept at establishing ties with Africa’s newest country, due to China’s previous close relationship with the Khartoum regime (an enemy of the South), friction has persisted. This is particularly evident at the level of everyday Chinese-South Suda-nese engagement, which is fraught with security risks. The piece describes some of these issues by drawing on fieldwork observations and interviews conducted in April 2013, eight months before the country lapsed back into civil war.
Highlights
China’s engagement with Sudan can be situated within China’s broader ‘go global’ drive which has sought to strengthen diplomatic ties with countries possessing resources crucial to its national strategy imperatives (Large 2008; Taylor 2006)
China’s resource search has led it to engage in a number of ‘frontier’ oil resource regions in Africa, including The Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), Somalia and Ethiopia
While establishing oil ties with countries already involved with western partners, China sought partnerships with states either deemed high-risk or having poor relations with the western world. Sudan was one such state: did it have a tumultuous relationship with western powers3 and faced several major insurgencies within its own borders
Summary
China’s engagement with Sudan can be situated within China’s broader ‘go global’ drive which has sought to strengthen diplomatic ties with countries possessing resources crucial to its national strategy imperatives (Large 2008; Taylor 2006). In fulfilling this quest for energy security, China has been obliged to commercially engage in some of the most insecure regions in the world. While establishing oil ties with countries (such as Nigeria and Angola) already involved with western partners, China sought partnerships with states either deemed high-risk or having poor relations with the western world Sudan was one such state: did it have a tumultuous relationship with western powers and faced several major insurgencies within its own borders. As economic development increases in South Sudan, so, according to this view, do the prospects of peace and security
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