China's Growing Use of Private Military Companies. And More.

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Inside China’s global mercenary network — from Belt and Road security to proxy wars in Myanmar and Sudan. Plus: can democracies survive rising authoritarianism?

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00:00 Introduction
00:44 China’s Growing Use of PMCs
08:48 Can Democracies Survive?
11:14 Behind the Scenes
12:50 Ranking History’s Dictators
15:58 Hostage Situations

References
China Mercenaries
https://carnegieendowment.org/posts/2024/07/china-private-security-central-asia?lang=en
https://www.csis.org/analysis/stealth-industry-quiet-expansion-chinese-private-security-companies
https://warontherocks.com/2023/12/chinese-private-security-companies-neither-blackwater-nor-the-wagner-group/
https://www.stimson.org/2025/access-without-troops-the-rise-of-private-security-in-southeast-asia/
https://www.geopoliticalmonitor.com/chinas-wagner-beijing-establishes-private-security-company-in-myanmar/
https://www.gisreportsonline.com/r/china-africa-military-private-security/
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/10/russia-social-media-ads-videos-recruiting-china-mercenaries#:~:text='Do%20you%20want%20to%20show,Chinese%20mercenaries%20%7C%20Ukraine%20%7C%20The%20Guardian
https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/29/europe/chinese-fighters-russia-ukraine-dst-intl-hnk#:~:text=Another%20Chinese%20national%20who%20said,a%20major%20factor%20for%20him.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/20/i-was-doing-nothing-at-home-the-chinese-nationals-fighting-for-ukraine
https://jamestown.org/program/guns-for-hire-private-security-and-mercenary-industries-in-china-and-russia/
https://mwi.westpoint.edu/beijings-blue-helmets-what-to-make-of-chinas-role-in-un-peacekeeping-in-africa/
https://www.cfr.org/blog/review-wa-myanmar-and-chinas-quest-global-dominance-bertil-lintner
https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-backed-militia-secures-control-new-rare-earth-mines-myanmar-2025-06-12/
https://greydynamics.com/the-united-wa-state-party-myanmars-most-powerful-ethnic-army/
https://inss.ndu.edu/Media/News/Article/4280244/chinas-military-diplomacy-in-africa/
https://africacenter.org/spotlight/militarization-china-africa-policy/
https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/in-depth-research-reports/issue-brief/addressing-chinas-military-expansion-in-west-africa-and-beyond/
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/sudan-ukraine-why-colombian-mercenaries-keep-fighting-foreign-wars
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/oct/08/colombian-mercenaries-sudan-war
https://thedefensepost.com/2025/05/09/amnesty-uae-sudan-rsf-weapons/
https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2025/09/05/long-sought-manufacturing-gains-are-boosting-north-korea-arms-buildup/
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/9/13/china-key-to-preventing-possible-russia-north-korea-arms-deal-expert-says