daniel chigunweThe Rhodesia Herald
22 January 1971
COMMUNIST Chinese involvement in Africa, which received set-backs at the time of China’s cultural revolution is hotting up again. Mr. Heath’s remark at Singapore about one Commonwealth member which had concluded a military arrangement with Peking without angering its partners is taken as a sideswipe at Tanzania.
For last year President Nyerere decided to rely entirely on the Chinese for equipping and training his army, navy and air force.
Major defence projects in which the Chinese have been involved in Tanzania have been the construction of military barracks costing the equivalent of R$1 million at Nachingwea and a naval base at Dar es Salaam.
Two squadrons of MiG-17 jet fighters were reported late last year to be earmarked by China for the Tanzanian Air Force.
Tanzania is believed to have about 18 battalions of troops in training and is known to have Chinese-made tanks and armoured cars in service.
The Chinese have their largest mission on the island of Zanzibar where they are also responsible for training the 3 000-man army. The Russian military mission there has been withdrawn.
Other African countries in which Peking is reported to be taking particular interest are Congo-Brazzaville, Sudan, Uganda and Somalia.
Of major interest was the decision by Ethiopia to recognise Peking. Observers have described this as a significant development in China’s new concern with the so-called non-aligned countries.
The increasing extent of Chinese influence in Africa, particularly along the east coast, is one of the reason for step-up Soviet naval activity in the Indian Ocean.
daglous masveta
