Chinese oversea bases

flyzies

Junior Member
The last line of this China Daily article also deserves attention

Beijing confirms military support facilities in Djibouti
By WANG XU (China Daily)Updated: 2015-11-27 07:40

Beijing confirmed on Thursday its construction of "military supporting facilities" in Djibouti, the first of its kind for China in Africa.

"China is negotiating closely with Djibouti in the construction of military supporting facilities," Wu Qian, spokesman for the Ministry of National Defense, said during a monthly news conference in Beijing.

He explained the aim is to "provide better logistics and safeguard Chinese peacekeeping forces in the Gulf of Aden, offshore Somalia and other humanitarian assistance tasks of the UN".

The East African country of Djibouti is on the Gulf of Aden, bordering the Red Sea and across from Yemen. It currently hosts military forces from the US, France, Italy, Japan and Pakistan.

Foreign media reported that David Rodriguez, a commander with US Africa Command, asserted that China has signed a 10-year deal with Djibouti to build a military base there.

Wu sidestepped the details of the contract and stressed the necessity of building such a facility in the Horn of Africa.

"China has sent a total of 21 escort fleets, more than 60 ships, to carry out escort missions in the Gulf of Aden and off Somalia since 2008 in accordance with UN Security Council resolutions," Wu said. "The fleets are facing practical difficulties, such as places for soldiers to rest and supplies of food and fuel, so it is really necessary to find a nearby place to provide efficient logistics," he added.

The largest foreign military base in Djibouti is US Camp Lemonier that, according to its website, is a navy led installation hosting approximately 4,000 US military personnel, and "provides, operates and sustains superior service in support of combat readiness and security of ships, aircraft, detachments and personnel for regional and combatant command requirements".

Liu Hongwu, director of the School of African Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, said building military supporting facilities was just a start for China to carry out security cooperation with the African Union.

Security cooperation will be a key area in future cooperation between China and the African Union, since for many years African countries have asked China to take part in their security processes, Liu said, and there is a tendency for China to strengthen its security cooperation abroad, especially with Africa.

Carrying out such cooperation makes sense as China has a major economic presence in Africa, Liu added.

China is Africa's largest bilateral trading partner, with trade volume in 2014 surpassing $200 billion, almost three times US-Africa trade.

In September, China promised to set up a United Nations permanent peacekeeping force of 8,000 troops and would provide $100 million to the African Union to create an immediate response unit capable of responding to emergencies.

Wu also said at the news conference that China confirmed a deal to buy Su-35 fighter jets from Russia.
 

delft

Brigadier
Will it have an airfield of its own? And what aircraft will make use of it? Not just the transport aircraft to fly personnel and cargo to and from China, South Sudan, Mali or wherever but I would think also things like KJ-200 or -500 in support of the anti-piracy mission and the deployments in Africa. UAV's?
 

mr.bean

Junior Member
Will it have an airfield of its own? And what aircraft will make use of it? Not just the transport aircraft to fly personnel and cargo to and from China, South Sudan, Mali or wherever but I would think also things like KJ-200 or -500 in support of the anti-piracy mission and the deployments in Africa. UAV's?
The Japanese base/airfield has P-3's so if the Chinese have an airfield i imagine their new GX-6 would be great to have over there. A good maritime patrol aircraft.
 

siegecrossbow

General
Staff member
Super Moderator
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Construction starts at the end of the year.
 

plawolf

Lieutenant General
Things moving quickly in Djibouti, I wonder how many countries tried to stop it behind the scene. Can't see India being happy about it.

Probably more interesting to know how many countries made overtures to play host to a Chinese base before Djibouti was selected.

TBH, I think its a buyers market out there are present. China doesn't need many overseas bases at present, whereas plenty of countries could use the investment and economic boost a massive military base will bring to the local and national economy.

The initial development and construction work will almost certainly be worth billions. The annual rent for the base will also be a significant amount of direct income for the government. With its thousands of troops/support personnel/families living on the base, they will represent a very large market for local goods and services.

A large foreign military base could effectively support much of the local economy of the area it is built, and provide a massive direct and long term economic boost to the host nation as a whole.

That is a vast amount of incentives for small to medium countries/economies, and unlikely to be matched by anyone else looking to play spoiler.

Even if someone was rich and stupid enough to offer to outbid the Chinese to pay nations not to host a PLA base, they will have to effectively pay off all potential host nations, whereas China just needs one to say yes and all the other spending would have been wasted.

For a country like Djibouti, they also enjoy the advantage that those looking to play spoiler cannot really strong-arm Djibouti.

Most of the nations likely to want to play spoiler already have bases themselves in Djibouti, so the local government got cards it can play if anyone was looking to play hardball.

As for India, well they care an unhealthy amount about what China does, even trying to stick its nose into the SCS.

However, their reach does not come close to matching their ambitions. I doubt what India feels even came up as a factor when Djibouti was making its decision. And TBH, India should be breathing a massive sigh of relief Djibouti was chosen, as opposed to some of the other mooted locations.

Djibouti was chosen because unlike India, China cares very little about India. Its base is about safeguarding its interests in the Middle East and Africa, not about needling India.

India would do well to start showing some reciprocity and adjust its needlessly confrontational attitude towards China before they elevate themselves from mere naucience into something the Chinese government feels like it has to do something about.
 

taxiya

Brigadier
Registered Member
Probably more interesting to know how many countries made overtures to play host to a Chinese base before Djibouti was selected.

TBH, I think its a buyers market out there are present. China doesn't need many overseas bases at present, whereas plenty of countries could use the investment and economic boost a massive military base will bring to the local and national economy.

There was some report of Seychelles
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I seriously believe Seychelles will some day in the not so remote future become another one as it is in the middle of the sea lane to east and south east African countries including Kenya (new partner), Tanzania (traditional ally) and South Africa (BRICS partner).
 
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taxiya

Brigadier
Registered Member
Will it have an airfield of its own? And what aircraft will make use of it? Not just the transport aircraft to fly personnel and cargo to and from China, South Sudan, Mali or wherever but I would think also things like KJ-200 or -500 in support of the anti-piracy mission and the deployments in Africa. UAV's?
UCAV would be perfect to track, chase and sink (if necessary) a pirate speed boat.
Marintime patrol aircraft would be useful for anti-piracy mission.
And I can NOT tell the difference between a Marintime patrol aircraft and an ASW aircraft. :rolleyes:
 
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