China boosts cooperation for Gulf of Guinea security as an event in Shanghai gathered armed forced leaders and other officials together.
At a seminar in Shanghai on Wednesday, China reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with Gulf of Guinea countries to advance peace, security, stability, and development in the region.
Hosted by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, the event gathered maritime armed force leaders and defense attachés from 18 nations, including Cameroon, the Republic of Congo, Gabon, Côte d’Ivoire, and Nigeria, for discussions on regional security.
In his keynote address, Hu Zhongming, commander of the PLA Navy, underscored the Gulf of Guinea’s strategic importance, highlighting its role in regional, continental, and global stability. He called for united efforts to transform the area into a “gulf of friendship, cooperation, prosperity, and security.”
The seminar, themed “Gulf of Guinea Maritime Security and Cooperation,” marked the PLA Navy’s first in-person international dialogue on the region’s security, following a virtual meeting in 2022. Discussions continued on maritime security challenges within the framework of “a maritime community with a shared future.”
China’s engagement with African nations has grown significantly, with the Chinese Navy conducting over 60 delegation and fleet visits to the continent in recent years, guided by principles of equality, mutual benefit, and sincerity.
As Africa’s largest and the world’s third-largest gulf, the Gulf of Guinea is rich in natural resources but faces persistent security challenges despite its relatively stable overall security situation.
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