The November 23 attack on the Chinese consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, is the latest sign that anti-Chinese sentiment may be taking root in countries that have received massive inflows of investment from China’s Belt and Road Initiative. USIP’s new Special Report provides an overview of the different security arrangements China is using to protect its overseas investments and workers, and examines how the Belt and Road Initiative is spurring the rapid growth of China’s domestic private security industry.
Summary
China’s Belt and Road Initiative—a large-scale connectivity project encompassing infrastructure, energy, and trade—has extended China’s economic presence throughout Eurasia and around the world. It has also posed new security challenges for Chinese companies operating abroad.
China employs three strategies in safeguarding its economic interests abroad. First, Chinese companies rely on a host country’s government for security needs. Second, Chinese companies hire local security firms. Third, Chinese companies employ a combination of Western and Chinese security firms.
The number of Chinese security companies is growing steadily. Still, only a handful of these companies operate abroad.
Although China’s security industry is privately operated, the Chinese government is heavily involved as both a corporate stakeholder and regulator.
Chinese private security firms are most active in high-risk Middle Eastern countries such as Iraq. However, these companies have not expanded their reach significantly in Southeast Asia, particularly in Laos and Indonesia, despite significant Chinese investment in projects in the region.
The Chinese government’s cautious approach to the development of the country’s private security industry stems from its wariness of paramilitary entities. Abroad, actions of rogue security contractors could jeopardize China’s overall investment plans and diplomatic standing. At home, unemployed security personnel, who are highly trained and organized, could pose a threat to social stability.
As China’s global economic influence expands, China’s private security industry can expect continued cautious encouragement from the government. However, if the Belt and Road Initiative falters, Beijing could put the brakes on the growth of the country’s private security industry to minimize potential challenges to the government.
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