The U.S. African commander said that the Chinese Communist Party’s Djibouti base has completed upgrading its facilities and will be able to berth aircraft carriers. The picture shows the mainland’s “Shandong” aircraft carrier.
U.S. Africa Command (USAFRICOM) Commander Admiral Stephen Townsend said in a report to Congress that the Communist Party’s Djibouti security base, located at the junction of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, has been upgraded and will be able to berth aircraft carriers.
“USNI reports that Townsend told the House Armed Services Committee (HASC) on 20 December that the Chinese Communist Party is expanding its existing naval facilities, including its only overseas military base in Djibouti, adjacent to its commercial deep-water port, and has recently completed construction of a new pier. With a length of 1,120 feet (341 meters), the pier will be large enough to berth the mainland aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong, which are approximately 305 meters long, or the future Type 003 aircraft carrier, which will be approximately 320 meters long.
“The U.S. Naval Institute News Network said the base opened in 2017, but construction of related dock facilities continues, with the most recently completed being a large dock that will be ready to accommodate the Chinese Communist Navy’s aircraft carriers, amphibious assault ships and other large warships, or multiple nuclear-powered assault submarines. However, Forbes noted that the base’s support capacity is still relatively limited, but there is still room to spare, so the Chinese Communist Party has begun plans to build subsequent docks, which could eventually total nine.
The expansion of the Djibouti base is “one of the most obvious signs” of the CCP’s expansion in Africa, according to Townsend, and it is also looking for more opportunities to establish military bases in other parts of the continent; in addition to the military aspect, the CCP continues to expand its influence on the continent through civilian channels, including spending large sums of money on infrastructure.
The U.S. and France also have military facilities there, located near the mainland base in Djibouti. The U.S. military has previously alleged that its airplanes were subjected to laser interference from the Chinese base while operating from Camp Lemonnier.
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