A military facility in Djibouti remains the Chinese armed forces’ only foreign bastion. But Chinese officials are quietly looking at the possibility of building more
began building its first overseas naval base in 2016, in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, Chinese officials tried to allay Western anxiety about their country’s expanded military footprint. They said the outpost was only for supporting multinational anti-piracy efforts, helping to secure vital shipping lanes and enabling China to protect its citizens in the region. Five years later, the facility in Djibouti remains the Chinese armed forces’ only foreign bastion.
China is becoming a more adventurous naval power. It has dramatically beefed up its fleet this century, amassing more ships than America’s navy. But most of these vessels keep to Indo-Pacific waters. It is unclear whether China has military ambitions farther afield. The Chinese navy cannot hope to sustain an Atlantic-facing armada that would rival that of America and its allies, whose ships, bases and supply lines dominate the central and north Atlantic.
But Isaac Kardon, a colleague of Mr Martinson’s at the Naval War College, notes China’s leaders have not parroted blustery rhetoric about tying down American ships. They would prefer to set up bases without antagonising America. As it happens, most countries are reluctant to rile the United States by hosting Chinese forces. Agreeing to a Chinese base would be a transactional arrangement, doing little to improve the security of the host.
Ireland Latest News, Ireland Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
China Evergrande hits new low on default worries; Kaisa misses pay dateChina Evergrande Group's shares hit an all-time low on Wednesday after a missed debt payment deadline put the developer at risk of becoming China's biggest defaulter, although hopes of a managed debt restructuring calmed fears of a messy collapse.
Read more »
The military vowed to fight food insecurity but many are still strugglingFor the first time, the Department of Defense commissioned a 90-day battle plan: Identify hungry military families and connect them with help. An estimated 160,000 military families experienced difficulty putting food on the table last year.
Read more »
Here’s Why ‘The Bachelorette’ Isn’t on Tonight Per UsualDon’t worry, it’ll come back soon.
Read more »
BoJack Creator Shares a Joke Netflix Censored to Raise Money for Trans Lifeline“They were worried it might upset David Fincher.”
Read more »
Amazon's trucking ambitions bump up against driver shortage, competitionAmazon.com Inc's push to recruit big-rig contractors to haul goods across its web of warehouses is colliding with a trucker shortage as the e-commerce company moves what are expected to be record numbers of packages this holiday season.
Read more »
Coronavirus Today: Preventing one health crisis from spawning anotherA new public health advisory highlights the mental health challenges facing America's youth.
Read more »