By Tyler Jiang
On January 21, 2016, China announced the construction of its first overseas military installation in Djibouti, located next to the Gulf of Aden and within arm’s reach of Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East. [1]
From November 16 through 24, the Vice Chairman of China’s Central Military Commission Fan Changlong visited the Horn of Africa, stopping in Djibouti. Fan is the highest member of the Chinese government to visit the region. [2] During his tour, Fan met with Chinese servicemen who were constructing the base and held talks with President Ismail Omar Guelleh focused on strengthening both diplomatic and military relations.
China’s Foreign Ministry has stated that the base will serve as an “overseas supply facility,” designed to provide logistical support to Chinese anti-piracy operations in the Gulf and the Indian Ocean. It will also provide support for the Chinese personnel participating in UN Peacekeeping operations in Africa. The base will also provide for “fast evacuation” of Chinese nationals from conflict zones in the region. This is a response to logistical demands the Chinese government faced evacuating 35,680 citizens from Libya and 629 more from Yemen during the Arab Spring uprisings. [3] The sheer size of the base, which can house up to 10,000 Chinese servicemen—and dwarfs neighboring U.S. Camp Lemonnier (4000 troops) and smaller French and Japanese facilities—will afford China a strong presence in the Horn. [4] The base marks the start of a trend towards China’s increasing hard power presence in Africa.
During the same trip, Fan made an official visit to Ethiopia, where he met with Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome, the Ethiopian Defense Minister, and Ethiopian Chief of General Staff of the National Defense Forces. During discussions, President Teshome stated that China is “Ethiopia's most important and reliable strategic partner,” and that China’s rapid rise and success is a model for Ethiopia’s development. [5] The talks yielded agreements to boost not just economic ties, but also military relations, increasing defense exchanges, building on current defense and medical training, and cooperating in UN peacekeeping operations.
These hard power developments in the Horn of Africa indicate a growing global Chinese presence as Beijing looks to expand outside of South-East Asia. After devoting billions of dollars of aid in Djibouti and constructing a new railroad in Ethiopia, the Chinese government’s establishment of a military base in Djibouti and closer ties with Ethiopia indicates that it is converting its soft power into concrete, hard, boots-on-the-ground policy. Along with an increased Chinese presence in the South China Sea, the larger military presence points to a more confident PLA that is willing to flex its muscle.
As the United States withdraws from the Middle East, China is taking advantage of the U.S.’s diminishing military presence abroad. As American interventionist foreign policy has become increasingly unpopular, some countries are striving to form ties with other powers. Turkey’s recent reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Russia testifies to this shift. Saudi Arabia, a staunch U.S. ally, is also sending signals to China. With a non-interventionist approach to foreign policy, China is well-positioned to step in and provide support and guidance for these countries. [6]
Tyler Jiang is a junior at Rowan University studying International Studies and History.
[1] Hong Lei, “Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Hong Lei’s Regular Press Conference on January 21, 2016,” January 21, 2016, http://www.fmprc.gov.cn/mfa_eng/xwfw_665399/s2510_665401/t1333741.shtml.
[2] CCTV, “China’s first overseas military supply hub gets a push,” CCTV, (Nov 29, 2016). http://english.cctv.com/2016/11/29/VIDEodX5IhCP60YABW310wLD161129.shtml.
[3] CCTV, “35,860 Chinese nationals in Libya evacuated:FM,” CCTV.com, 3/3/2011.
[4] Zhang Zhihao, “Overseas supply hub gets push,” China Daily, (Dec 2, 2016).
[5] Ibid.
[6] For a more in-depth analysis on this topic, please refer to an article that the author published earlier this year, “Djibouti is Jumping,” http://www.fpri.org/article/2016/03/djibouti-is-jumping/.
