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South China Morning Post: China’s Djibouti military base: ‘logistics facility’, or platform for geopolitical ambitions overseas?
Official peacekeeping mission notwithstanding, new outpost has docking facilities that can handle most vessels in China’s naval fleet
Chinese troops at the country’s only overseas military base conducted their first live-fire exercises last week in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, near some of the world’s busiest shipping routes.
Beijing has described its military outpost as a logistics facility for resupplying Chinese vessels on peacekeeping and humanitarian missions. But satellite imagery and unofficial reports show the base has military infrastructure, including barracks and storage and maintenance units, and docking facilities that can handle most vessels in its naval fleet.
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WNU Editor: China is heavily dependent on oil shipments from the Middle East. They need a naval base close-by that can provide the necessary logistics to resupply their ships. Most countries are reluctant to house the Chinese, but for Djibouti .... I guess the Chinese found their price.
This has positive aspects.
ReplyDeleteIf China has a base in Djibouti, they can protect oil shipments from say Somali pirates. If the pirates cannot take ships they go away ... as pirates .... and are resurrected as ...
Somalia needs economic development; in the meantime the bandits need to be run to ground.