7/14/2017 China Officially Sets Up Its First Overseas Base in Djibouti | The Diplomat

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China O cially Sets Up Its First Overseas Base in Djibouti

China sends military personnel to its new base, designed to support Chinese missions in Africa and the
Middle East.

By Charlotte Gao
July 12, 2017

On July 11, China officially dispatched military personnel to set up its first-ever overseas base in Djibouti, the small country in
East Africa.

While foreign media call the new facility a military base, China instead calls it a support base, which will ensure Chinas
performance of missions, such as escorting, peace-keeping, and humanitarian aid in Africa and west Asia, according to
Xinhua, Chinas news agency.

In the early morning of July 11, China held an official ceremony in the port of Zhanjiang, south Chinas Guangdong province.
The commander of Chinas Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), Shen Jinlong, read an order on constructing the base in
Djibouti, and conferred military flag on the fleets. Then Shen ordered, Set off! and the ships carrying Chinese military
personnel departed the port, reported Xinhua.

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In addition to its basic supporting role, the Djibouti base will also perform other functions including military cooperation,
joint exercises, evacuating and protecting overseas Chinese and emergency rescue, as well as jointly maintaining security of
international strategic seaways, said Xinhua.

Regarding Chinas reasons for establishing the support base, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi explained that it is meant to
help maintain [Chinas] growing overseas interests.

In an annual press conference held during the 12th National Peoples Congress held on March 8, 2016, Wang Yi elaborated
on Chinas construction in Djibouti:

Like any growing powers, Chinas interests are constantly expanding overseas. At present, there are 30,000 Chinese
enterprises all over the world An urgent task for Chinas diplomacy is to maintain the growing overseas interests.
How to maintain? I would like to tell you clearly that China will never go through the expansion path of the traditional
powers, nor will China pursue hegemony. We want to explore a path with Chinese characteristics that both follows the
trend of the times and is welcomed by all parties.

Thus, according to the objective needs and in response to the wishes of the related country, China will establish some
necessary facilities, like its support base in Djibouti. This is not only reasonable, but also in line with international practice,
said Wang Yi.
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