China’s new security era in Africa: protecting assets, citizens from DR Congo to Somalia

AI Summary

China is entering a new assertive era in protecting its citizens and assets in Africa, exemplified by the security challenges faced by Chinese diplomats in Somalia operating under constant terrorism threats. Foreign Minister Wang Yi has highlighted these risks while overseeing an overhaul of how China protects its overseas interests, from DR Congo to Somalia. This reflects Beijing's increasingly proactive foreign policy posture in volatile regions.

Living in container houses under the constant shadow of terrorism, Chinese diplomats in Somalia represent the extreme front line of a new, assertive era in Beijing’s foreign policy. During a video call to staff at the Chinese embassy in Mogadishu, Foreign Minister Wang Yi laid bare the “complex and severe risks of terrorism”, using the situation in the war-torn nation as a stark reminder of why China was overhauling how it protected its citizens and interests overseas. The call was made in...