Major Powers Boosting Their Naval Presence In The Mediterranean

China, Russia, U.S. Raise Mediterranean Naval Focus -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Egypt has seen no shortage of empires come and go, from its own ancient civilizations to those of Greece, Rome, Britain and France. Now, it is among the outposts of the latest Mediterranean power: China.

Situated at the northern end of the Suez Canal, the Port Said Container Terminal is one of the busiest in the region, vital for shipments not only to Egypt but also much of Europe and the Middle East.

Like several other key ports in the region - including Piraeus in Greece and Naples in Italy - it is now partially owned by China. The state-owned Cosco Pacific holds 20 percent the terminal, helping make it one of the dominant - if not the dominant - Mediterranean port operators.

Read more ....

My Comment: In a previous post I had commented that I have never seen the entire Mediterranean region to be in the state of chaos that it is in today. Spain, and Greece in an economic depression, with Italy and France facing a severe economic crisis. Terrorism in Algeria. Revolution and anarchy in Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt. Turkey at war with the Kurds. Sectarian tensions building in Lebanon. Israeli - Palestinian tensions still boiling .... and (of course) the Syrian civil war. This buildup of naval forces is not a surprise .... what is surprising is why did they take so long to build them up.