UK: Djibouti Allegedly Detained, Deported Tory Lawmaker

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Facts

• Tim Loughton, a British member of parliament, was reportedly deported from Djibouti on April 8 after a 7-hour detention at the airport — allegedly due to the African nation's close ties with China.¹
• Loughton, the Conservative lawmaker for East Worthing and Shoreham who has served since 1997, is among seven British parliamentarians under PRC sanctions since 2021.²
• Loughton alleged that he had been sanctioned for 'speaking out' against China's 'industrial scale human rights abuses' against the Uyghurs and Tibetans.³
• Though the co-chair of the UK's All-Party Parliamentary Group on Tibet described his experience as 'very lonely and frightening,' China called his claims baseless.⁴
• This comes after the Chinese government allegedly hacked the parliamentary emails of Loughton and three other members of parliament last month.⁵
• China has reportedly invested billions of dollars in Djibouti — such as a stadium, hospital, and a $1B spaceport — in addition to establishing free trade zones and warehouses.²

Sources: ¹Independent, ²Guardian, ³India Today, ⁴BBC News and ⁵Times.

Narratives

• Anti-China narrative, as provided by ECFR. China's military power shift in Africa and its widening economic influence are altering global power dynamics. Beijing is not only propping up entire economies in the continent but also militaries. This aligns with China's broader aim of establishing a continent-wide security presence across Africa. The PRC's pursuit of a pan-Africa security architecture is an increasing geopolitical problem for the US and EU that the West must urgently address.
• Pro-China narrative, as provided by XINHUA. The West has nothing to fear from China's growing ties with Africa. The affinity between Beijing and African nations includes cooperation on vital issues including development, communications, energy, infrastructure and regional integration. China is furthering innovation in sectors including agriculture and a burgeoning tech industry — Beijing's contribution to the African continent's development goals is a major achievement for the global community.
• Establishment-critical narrative, as provided by GIS Reports. Africa is increasingly prominent geopolitically, faced with Western ignorance, negative media portrayals, and external power struggles. China focuses on infrastructure, while the West attempts to impose hegemonic values. This risks a backlash against the West and highlights the need for the 'rules-based order' to better respect local conditions and cultures across the continent.

Predictions