CHINA OPENS UP ITS FIRST MILITARY BASE IN AFRICA
Chinese Military base in Africa, China has opened its very first overseas military base in Africa. It’s located in Djibouti to be exact.
On August 1, China conducted a flag raising ceremony. It’s causing jitters despite the assurance from Beijing that this will be just a logistics facility and not the rumored military foothold.
Xinhua Agencies, the state-run news channel, reported that the Djibouti base said that China has no plans to convert the logistics center into a military foothold. South China Morning Post reported that the base will be used to just protect China’s trade routes linking Europe, Asia, Africa and Middle East.
The construction of the logistics base commenced last year. It is reported that the base will be used is re-supplying navy ships engaged in peacekeeping and humanitarian efforts off the coast of Somalia and Yemen.
China has already stamped its authority in Africa as a global power. India is very worried of this Djibouti base.
Djibouti is approximately the size of Wales. It is located on the southern entrance to the Red Sea on the way to the Suez Canal. The country is also a host to military bases for United States of America, France and Japan.
China’s ambitions to become a global power in maritime sector is slowly unfolding.
Djibouti has a population of 900,000 people and it generate a portion of its resources from renting land for construction of military bases. The countries will military bases in Djibouti love its strategic location at a cross-section of sea lanes between Europe, Asia and Middle East.
Djibouti is also very close to terror and piracy hot spots which makes it suitable for bases.
Currently, there are one million Chinese living and working in Africa continent.
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