The strategic importance of Africa places it at the crossroads of international competition over assets, economic gain, and influence.  Among the competitors, China and Turkey are significant actors, and their competition in Africa has implications that extend to the Arab world. The Sino-Turkish competition in Africa stems from each country’s efforts to expand its economic and strategic influence, and takes place on many levels, including the following:

1. Access to natural resources: Africa’s importance stems from its position as the world’s reservoir of strategic natural resources and raw materials that are in high demand, in light of the intense competition between major consuming countries for these resources. This competition is intensified by increasing global demand, while global reserves and production rates are decreasing in other parts of the world.

       Turkey and China are both seeking to gain a large share of these    resources. China is particularly interested in the acquisition of oil, gas, uranium, gold, and diamonds. China receives 9% of sub-Saharan Africa’s oil, while 30% goes to Europe. Energy imports are also of essential importance to Turkey, amounting to more than 41.1 billion dollars in 2019. Turkey is the second largest importer of gas after China, importing more than 95% of its needs. Therefore, it is looking to Africa to secure this strategic need for energy materials through the investments of Turkish oil companies.

2. Increasing economic presence: Both Turkey and China wish to gain access to the vast African market, to increase the volume of their trade and investments in the continent. Turkish companies undertook 1,500 projects worth nearly USD 70 billion in Africa as of the end of 2019. Turkey also signed trade and economic cooperation agreements with more than 49 African countries, agreements to stimulate and protect joint investments with 28 countries, and agreements to avoid double taxation with 12 African countries.
   
   China, on the other hand, is the largest investor in Africa, according to World Bank reports. Chinese investments in the continent amount to nearly USD 15 billion in various sectors, and it also started building subsidiary factories on African soil with the aim of conquering African markets and benefiting from cheap African labor.
   
   The Maghreb region is currently the focus of Sino-Turkish competition, with the volume of Turkish investments in the region rising to USD 25.3 billion in 2020. Turkey also signed a partnership agreement with Tunisia, a trade agreement with Morocco, and a friendship agreement with Algeria, which helped boost Turkish products in the region.
   
   China, on its part, has strengthened its economic and soft power in Africa through the Belt and Road initiative, establishing comprehensive strategic partnerships with Algeria and Egypt, and a strategic partnership with Morocco. These partnerships include dozens of memoranda of understanding and promises of major infrastructure and development projects. It is also worth noting that China signed memoranda of understanding on the “Belt and Road” initiative with Libya and Tunisia, but has not established a formal partnership with either country.
   
   In terms of the size and scope of projects in Africa, Turkey is no match for China. According to the ranking of the top 250 international contractors in the Engineering News Registry based on revenues generated abroad, Turkish contractors ranked third with 40 companies in 2020, while China ranked first with 78 companies.  Although the falling value of the lira, and economic contraction which accompanied the COVID-19 pandemic, represent obstacles to further Turkish expansion, Turkey currently seeks to ally with Japan to undermine Chinese influence in Africa. Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) opened a regional office in Istanbul in 2020 as part of these efforts, and Turkish company Çalik Enerji, in which Japanese trading company Mitsubishi Corporation has a stake, recently completed the expansion of a small hydropower plant in the southeastern African Republic of Malawi with funding from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA).
   
3. Strategic advantage: Turkey and China’s competition is also apparent in their pursuit to position themselves in areas of  strategic importance on the continent. China concluded a deal with the Djibouti to buy a share of the strategic Port of Djibouti. The port is strategically located overlooking the Indian Ocean and the southern entrance to the Red Sea, where the Bab al-Mandab strait is an important corridor for global trade, and for any military movements coming from Europe or the United States towards the Arabian Gulf and East Africa.
   
   Turkey illustrated the strategic importance of Africa by stating in its maritime strategy, issued in 2014, that the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden will act as the main link between Turkey, the eastern Mediterranean, and the Indian Ocean. Accordingly, Turkey signed an agreement with Djibouti in 2017 stipulating the establishment of a 12-million-square-meter free trade zone. Turkey also has an agreement with Sudan to develop and manage the island of Suakin overlooking the Red Sea, giving Turkey an important strategic advantage that will enable it to expand its presence within Africa.
   
4. Political goals: Turkey and China’s efforts to gain further footing in Africa are partially driven by political motives. Turkey’s goal of regional expansion across the continent is part and parcel of its aim to revive neo-Ottomanism, especially in light of its failures on the European front and failure to join the European Union. Moreover, it seeks to strengthen its position in the regional equation in the Middle East through expanding its presence and influence in Africa .  China’s desire to establish a multipolar international system drives it to enhance its relations with developing countries, particularly in Africa, in order to present itself as their leader on the international stage. China also relies on the big voting bloc of African countries to change a number of agreements with the United States, especially those related to intellectual property. Furthermore, China seeks to isolate Taiwan, and prevent India from obtaining a permanent seat on the Security Council.

Impact on the Arab world

 Sino-Turkish competition in Africa can have an impact on the Arab region in a number of ways, including:

1. Increasing Turkish influence on Arab issues: Ankara could strive to improve its relations with the United States and NATO, which has recently deteriorated, by helping to undermine Chinese influence in Africa, which the US in particular finds troubling.  With improved relations, Turkey may then draw on US support to bolster its own position on certain Arab issues, especially in  the ongoing conflicts in Syria and Libya.
   
   In the virtual symposium organized by the US-Turkey Business Council in June 2020, US Senator Lindsey Graham offered expressions of encouragement for Turkish-US cooperation in Africa to confront China, saying: “Once you begin to economically integrate the two economies, then we’ll be more effective partners in Africa. Nothing would please me more than to partner with Turkey to offer to the African continent alternatives to Chinese products and Chinese influence”, in reference to a free trade agreement between Ankara and Washington.
   
2. Increasing the complexity of Arab security issues: The growing Chinese and Turkish presence in Africa will complicate the Arab national security equation in the Red Sea, the Horn of Africa, and the Persian Gulf. Security concerns explain the growing Arab presence in the region through investments and military bases. It is also illustrated by the launch of the Red Sea Forum led by Saudi Arabia, with the participation of Egypt and Arab and African countries bordering the Red Sea. Despite the importance of these moves, more Arab coordination is required in order to counter challenges to Arab security emanating from Africa.
   
3. An Opportunity for Iran: The African continent has long been a focus of t Iranian interest, especially East Africa, and countries overlooking the Red Sea, including Sudan, Eritrea, and Djibouti. Iran seeks to strengthen its maritime relations with these countries to create sea and land corridors to conflict areas in Iran and the Middle East, which may be used to smuggle weapons and facilitate terrorist operations.
   
   
   
   Iran  could  join efforts with China in Africa, on the basis of their shared hostility towards the United States. China could also be motivated to do so if Ankara  allies with Washington to undermine Chinese influence in Africa. In view of China’s strong presence in Africa, this could strengthen Iranian influence there, giving it new ways to circumvent economic sanctions, and new bases from which it can launch operations against Arab countries, especially in conflict zones such as Iraq, Syria and Yemen. 

In sum, growing international competition over influence in Africa represents a potential threat to Arab security, which must be addressed. This can be achieved through closer Arab consultation and coordination, and through better dialogue and cooperation with African countries, in order to secure and protect Arab interests.