Is Africa becoming a ‘testing ground’ for Chinese power projection?
Por Jevans Nyabiage — South China Morning Post – News feed
Advertisement China-Africa relations China Diplomacy Is Africa becoming a ‘testing ground’ for Chinese power projection?
PLA pilots trained against Rafales in the latest joint exercise, reflecting a decades-long expansion of activity on the continent
3 -MIN READ 3 -MIN 4 Listen
Jevans Nyabiage Published: 6:00pm, 19 Sep 2026 Six Chinese J-16 fighter jets arrived in Egypt last month for a joint exercise in what was the aircraft’s first known deployment in Africa.
In Egyptian airspace, Chinese pilots had the rare chance to train against the Rafale, an advanced French-built fighter.
The 6,000km (3,700-mile) deployment was completed in about nine hours with aerial refuelling, and tested China’s ability to move and support a combat-capable air package far from home.
Analysts say the exercise reflects a decades-long expansion of Chinese military activity in Africa and provides the People’s Liberation Army with a useful opportunity to test its logistics, equipment and personnel in demanding conditions. Select Voice Select Speed 0.8x 0.9x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.5x 1.75x 00:00 00:00 1x AI-generated voice
