![]() ![]() While Beijing is looking at security guarantees from Moscow, Chinese private security companies (PSCs) operating in Africa are bracing for impact. However, despite Beijing’s efforts to strengthen security, the risks faced by Chinese workers and BRI investments are escalating at a faster pace.Ĭhina’s foreign direct investment in Africa, has been increasing steadily since 2003-surging from $75 million in 2003 to $5 billion in 2021. To enhance the security measures for Chinese companies investing abroad, Beijing is ramping up regional threat assessments and offering security training to workers before deploying them overseas. The immediate peril lies in the potential ramifications of Wagner Group splinter factions, or a Wagner franchise under new management, which would compromise the security of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI)-and the safety of its overseas workers-in Africa and in other regions. Indeed, the possibility of Moscow failing to rein in Russian mercenaries in areas where Chinese economic interests are present could create a fault line in the Chinese-Russian “no-limit friendship.” ![]() Though Beijing eventually put out a public statement of support for the Russian president, it is biding its time-observing how firm Putin’s grip on power is. The world has not heard from the Wagner chief since, who has gone “uncharacteristically quiet.As the Wagner revolt against the Kremlin unfolded last month, China seemed to pay little attention to Russian President Vladimir Putin’s faltering attempts to restrain the mercenaries, which laid bare the fractures in Moscow. Prigozhin called off the assault to “avoid bloodshed in Russia" and agreed to go into exile with all charges dropped against him. He blamed the ministry of launching “rocket strike on Wagner's rear camps” in which “a huge number of group's comrades got killed.” The Wagner boss said Friday that he was ready to find a compromise over the contract but 'they have treacherously cheated us'. Their feud dating back to a few years, exploded over the ministry's attempt to have the private military contractors sign a contract before July 1. Prigozhin specifically charged defence minister Sergei Shoigu and top army general Valery Gerasimov responsible for the deaths of Wagner fighters. Also Read: Prighozin quiet, Putin 'missing' day after Wagner Group drops Russia 'coup' 'Fued between Wagner, defence ministry' The events prompted Putin to address the nation, who vowed to crush the rebellion which according to him was “a stab in the back of Russia.” The rebellion was later halted after a late-night deal brokered by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. ![]() ![]() Prigozhin accused the Russian defence ministry of carrying out strikes against the group. The knee-jerk reaction came in response to the mutiny by Yevgeny Prigozhin's military organisation which had overtaken two cities before stopping its advance. State-owned news agency Sputnik reported that the country's Duma (the Lower House of the parliament) is working out a bill on the same. Members of Wagner group sit atop of a tank in a street in the city of Rostov-on-Don, on June 24.(AFP) The Russian parliament is said to be working on a bill to regulate the activities of private military companies, this two days after Kremlin survived a coup attempt by mercenary Wagner group which called off the rebellion just hundred kilometres away from Moscow. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |