As traditional security partners such as France and the United States scale back operations and Russia faces supply challenges due to its ongoing war in Ukraine, China has moved swiftly to become a major defense partner for several West African nations. Among the biggest buyers is Burkina Faso, which received 116 Chinese infantry carriers and six assault vehicles from China in 2024 alone, data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute shows.
By contrast, France—long the region’s primary security ally—has not delivered any military vehicles since 2020. The U.S. has only supplied aircraft engines in recent years. This shift follows the collapse of Operation Barkhane, France’s counterterrorism mission in the Sahel, and a series of military coups that soured relations between regional governments and Western powers.
“The Chinese have found an opening where France and Russia have left gaps, and they’re filling it quickly,” said David Shinn, a China-Africa specialist at George Washington University, speaking to the South China Morning Post. He noted that Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso have turned to China amid deteriorating ties with Paris and Washington.
China’s largest weapons manufacturer, Norinco (China North Industries Group Corporation), has been central to this expansion. The state-owned arms giant now has regional offices in Nigeria and Senegal and has signed deals not only with Burkina Faso but also with Mali and potentially Niger—countries where Beijing holds key economic interests such as lithium, oil, and uranium.
Mali, where China’s Ganfeng Lithium operates a processing facility, signed a major military cooperation agreement with Norinco in late 2024. The deal includes weapons, training, and technology transfers to support anti-terror operations. Similar arrangements are reportedly being pursued in Niger, home to extensive Chinese oil operations.
Analysts say China’s appeal lies in its “no-strings-attached” approach to military support—offering affordable, rapidly deliverable arms without demands for governance reforms or human rights commitments. “Countries in the Sahel are now looking for defense partners who don’t normally impose political conditions,” said Ilaria Carrozza of the Peace Research Institute Oslo.
China’s growing presence also fits into a broader geopolitical realignment. As Western influence wanes, Beijing and Moscow have both sought to strengthen their footprints in the region, although Russia’s capacity has been blunted by its conflict in Ukraine. “China can fill gaps where Russia is running short of supplies, even providing fighter jets in some cases,” said Liselotte Odgaard, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute.
However, China is not looking to completely overshadow Moscow. Experts say Beijing is expanding carefully to preserve its strategic alignment with Russia, even as it asserts greater dominance in francophone Africa.
Meanwhile, Nigeria is turning to China not just for military equipment but also for technology transfer and potential local arms manufacturing. A 2019 defense agreement with Norinco to combat Boko Haram is now evolving into deeper cooperation, boosting Beijing’s leverage in the region.
As Africa’s Sahel continues to grapple with insurgency, political upheaval, and shifting alliances, China’s expanding defense ties are shaping a new military balance—one where Beijing plays a central and growing role.
