About the Author:

Hend Sultan — A specialist in international relations and China studies. She serves as Assistant Professor of International Relations and China Studies at the Faculty of Economics and International Trade, Egyptian Chinese University. She is also a research fellow at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies, Fudan University, China.

Summary:

This work analyzes China’s involvement in security affairs in the Horn of Africa during the Belt and Road era. The author demonstrates how China’s regional engagement has gradually intensified under the influence of economic, political, and strategic interests.

The central argument is that China’s security policy in Africa is shaped by a complex balance between its national interests and the principle of non-interference. The author notes that China initially adhered to a policy of non-intervention in regional affairs but has assumed an increasingly active role as its economic and geopolitical stakes have grown.

The book examines three key dimensions in depth:

— China’s “cautious but active mediation” in the Sudan and South Sudan conflicts;

— military diplomacy conducted through the base in Djibouti;

— the practical paradoxes of the non-interference policy, illustrated by the case of Ethiopia.

The author concludes that China’s role in the Horn of Africa has expanded beyond simple economic cooperation toward active participation in global security governance. This shift is contributing to a new regional balance of power and intensifying elements of competition with Western countries.