US welcomes China’s peacekeepers in Africa but wary of Beijing’s military inroads

By
Jim W. Dean and Gordon Duff
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Chinese PLA personnel attend the opening ceremony of China's military base in Djibouti. Photo: AFP
  • US Senate Armed Services Committee was told China’s newly completed naval pier in Djibouti would accommodate an aircraft carrier
  • China’s peacekeeping deployments in Africa perceived as possible excuse to build up military bases in Africa, says analyst
SCMP: With a population of under 1 million, Djibouti on the Horn of Africa is one of the smallest countries on the continent.

But what it lacks in size, it makes up for with its strategic location, overlooking the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, a choke point between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

It is that location that has made it a hub for foreign militaries. Before 2017, the United States, France, Japan and Italy had established bases for their armed forces in the country. Then China arrived, setting up what it described as a

logistics facility for resupplying Chinese vessels on peacekeeping and humanitarian missions

.That facility houses between 1,000 and 2,000 Chinese navy personnel, according to various reports.

About 12km away, the US’ Camp Lemonnier military base houses 3,400 personnel.

Analysts say that while the US has always welcomed China’s support for UN peacekeeping operations and anti-piracy efforts in Africa, it is concerned China plans to expand its rights to set up bases, using them to extend its military reach and grow arms sales to African countries.



Luke Patey, a senior researcher at the Danish Institute for International Studies, said whether in Africa or the Arctic, the US did not want to see a challenger upset its dominant global military presence.

“Chinese participating in peacekeeping missions may not turn too many heads at the Pentagon, but China’s Djibouti base has military capabilities that extend far beyond the logistical needs of any peace or humanitarian mission,” Patey said.  read more..

https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3132150/us-welcomes-chinas-peacekeepers-africa-wary-beijings-military?module=AI_Recommended_for_you_In-house&pgtype=homepage

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