INTRODUCTION
In mid-January 2026, warships from Russia, China, and Iran began converging off the coast of South Africa. Soon joined by ships of the South African Navy, the visitors were in African waters for the naval exercise “WILL FOR PEACE 2026”. Exercises involving the Russian and Chinese navies have become a regular occurrence around Africa, the most recent one being the third since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The meaning of WILL FOR PEACE was more broadly geopolitical than narrowly military. Although the flotillas were small - with only two Russian and two Chinese ships participating - the signals the exercise sent were significant. For Russia, it served to highlight that its military is still respected and welcome in the Global South, and that attempts to isolate it for its attack on Ukraine have limits. For China, increased military presence in and around Africa serves its goal of building stability on the continent, stability required for Beijing’s significant economic investments in Africa to bear fruit. For both, the exercise served to demonstrate their blue-water reach and normalize their naval presence along key sea lanes. Military exercises are only one way Russia and China have been advancing their interests and attempting to build influence in Africa. Both have also used diplomacy and economic engagement to do so. In 2026 for the 36th straight year, the Chinese Foreign Minister’s first foreign visit of the year was to Africa. Over that period there have been “almost 200 visits to 48 African countries involving Chinese heads of state, premiers, and foreign ministers.” [1]
// RUSSIA AND CHINA IN AFRICA Delphi Global Research Center
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