Beira is no longer just a feeder port. In recent years it has become fully integrated with the southern and eastern African shipping networks and receives regularly scheduled direct calls from major shipping lines. It is also conveniently located for Zimbabwean importers and exporters, as well as the Zambian and Democratic Republic of Congo copper belts.
One Belt One Road also increases Beijing’s control of critical global supply chains and its ability to redirect the flow of international trade. Central to these efforts are moves to open new sea lines of communication and expand China’s strategic port access around the world. In 2017, Chinese state-owned companies announced plans to buy or secure majority stakes in nine overseas ports, all located in regions where China plans to develop new sea lanes. This is in addition to the 40 ports in Africa, Asia, and Europe in which Chinese state-owned firms hold stakes worth a combined $40 billion.