Ruchita Beri replies: China’s foot print in Africa has increased considerably in recent years. China launched the Forum for China- Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in 2000. It is well known that the Chinese Foreign Minister begins each calendar year with regular visits to the African continent. Along with the political engagement, China’s economic engagement with the region has increased. China is currently Africa’s largest trading partner, with the two way trade valued at $254 billion in 2021.
Iran-Arab Gulf Joint Naval Force and China’s ‘Collective Security Architecture’
China and Iran claim to be building a new security architecture for West Asia on the pretext of keeping out the “unjustified” presence of “foreign forces”.