How many bases did they build there when Mao was around?
I’m aware of Red China supporting the ANC and ZANU-PF among other communist regimes, but they didn’t have the kind of military back then that they do now.
China has been providing infrastructure, construction projects, in Africa in exchange for influence for decades. They were highly influential with the dictators like Nyerere in Tanzania, Barre in Somalia back in the 70’s. Remember the term “Scientific Socialism” that was common back then, usually used by rulers who were close to the Chinese. Even our guy in Angola, Savimbi, started his guerilla career as China’s guy. Mozambique was another client of China back then, that is why ZANU-PF was based there. The other guy, Moscow’s man Nkomo, was based out of Zambia.