Follow CGSP on Social Media

Listen to the CGSP Podcast

General Stephen Townsend’s Comments on China Are Not Helping the U.S. Cause in Africa

by Eric Olander
U.S. Army General Stephen Townsend, commander, U.S. Africa Command, speaking to Marines aboard the USS Makin Island. Image via AFRICOM.

The top commander for U.S. forces in Africa (AFRICOM), General Stephen Townsend, thought it would be a good idea to re-surface the old trope that China is looking to build a new military outpost in Africa, this time on the West Coast.

Just as Secretary of State Antony Blinken re-hashed 10-year-old talking points when he spoke of China’s engagement in Africa during an online event two weeks ago, General Townsend is trafficking in equally stale rumors that date back at least 7 years, if not longer.

  • Get a daily email packed with the latest China-Africa news and analysis.
  • Read exclusive insights on the key trends shaping China-Africa relations.
  • Full access to the News Feed that provides daily updates on Chinese engagement in Africa and throughout the Global South.

China, Africa and the Global South... find out what’s happening.

Subscribe today for unlimited access.

OR

Already a subscriber? Log in Click Here to Learn More

You Might Like

The Impossibility of Learning from Afghanistan

The story of China in the Global South has always carried a frisson in the West. A large part of that feeling has to do with China’s size, the way it simply doesn’t fit into ...

U.S. Leaders Now Seem to Think They’re Finally Well Positioned to Take on China’s Belt & Road

“The Build Back Better World Partnership Could Finally Break the Belt and Road” screamed the headline on the Foreign Policy website today, giving voice to the newfound sense of confidence in the DC policy universe ...

China, Africa, and the U.S. Fiasco in Afghanistan

We all woke up to a different world today with the shocking images of Monday’s bungled U.S. evacuation from Kabul still overflowing our social media feeds and this nagging feeling that something big, really big ...

What is The China-Africa Project?

Independent

The CAP is passionately independent, non-partisan and does not advocate for any country, company or culture.

News

A carefully curated selection of the day’s most important China-Africa stories. Updated 24 hours a day by human editors. No bots, no algorithms.

Analysis

Diverse, often unconventional insights from scholars, analysts, journalist and a variety of stakeholders in the China-Africa discourse.

Networking

A unique professional network of China-Africa scholars, analysts, journalists and other practioners from around the world.

Subscribe