Kampala, Oct 30 (IANS) Increasing presence of China in policing and security sectors of Africa highlights convergence of organised crime, authoritarian governance and geopolitical influence, a report has detailed.

"As Chinese-linked criminal syndicates spread across the continent, Beijing is increasingly offering policing assistance, training and joint operations. What appears to be a response to transnational crime could also provide China with a durable foothold in the security institutions of strategically important countries," a report in Uganda-based 'Nile Post' stated.

The pattern is also seen in Southeast Asia as crackdowns have led to Chinese criminal networks, including Triad-linked groups, entering Myanmar's borderlands, where industrial-scale scam compounds exploit trafficked workers. As pressure increases on these operations, Chinese criminal groups are entering Africa, with China-connected scam compounds in at least nine African nations since 2020, sparking concerns about the continent becoming a new centre for organised cybercrime.

China has set up a law-enforcement coordination centre in Kunming, holding joint river patrols with Laos, Myanmar and Thailand, and policing liaison arrangements with Cambodia. China has been following similar pattern in Africa as it has trained police personnel from 33 African nations, has policing agreements with at least 24 African nations, and has been engaged in joint operations in 10 nations, according to the report.

International law enforcement cooperation is important for combatting organised crime, cyber fraud and human trafficking. However, its value relies on accountability as police in democratic nations is expected to function under the law, be answerable to courts and remain subject to public scrutiny. However, China's policing system serves the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), combining surveillance, extensive data collection and pre-emptive intervention to maintain political control.

"Countries adopting elements of this approach risk acquiring powerful instruments of domestic surveillance without equivalent safeguards. Measures presented as crime prevention can be extended to monitor communities, suppress dissent and intimidate critics. The danger is that cooperation ostensibly directed against criminal networks could strengthen state control over ordinary citizens," the report in Nile Post stated.

The arrangement also has geopolitical impact as police training, embedded personnel and joint operations create ties with lawmakers and security establishments. These relations can align with Chinese investment, diplomacy and other forms of engagement, resulting in economic presence turning into institutional influence.

--IANS

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