BEIJING \u2014 A top Chinese military officer visited Djibouti at the weekend, official media reported, prompting a state-run newspaper Tuesday to downplay concerns Beijing is planning to establish a base in the strategically vital African entrepot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The chief of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) general staff, Gen. Fang Fenghui met Djibouti’s president at the weekend, the official PLA news source China Military Online reported.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Fang told President Ismail Omar Guelleh that China was willing to “deepen pragmatic cooperation between the two countries and two militaries,” the report paraphrased.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Beijing is expanding its military heft and reach as China becomes more powerful, with annual double-digit defense budget increases and its first aircraft carrier entering service.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A former French colony, Djibouti guards the entrance to the Red Sea and, ultimately, the Suez Canal, and has been used by international navies \u2014 including China \u2014 as a base in the fight against piracy from neighboring Somalia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In May, Guelleh told AFP that “discussions are ongoing” with China for a military base in the tiny Horn of Africa nation, saying that Beijing’s presence would be “welcome.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Chinese officials say the country does not have any overseas military bases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But Chinese contracts to build or manage Indian Ocean ports have raised concerns it is seeking to establish a so-called “string of pearls” in the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The state-run Global Times on Tuesday said that Fang’s visit had prompted overblown fears of Chinese military expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
“It is unfair to hype up the ‘China threat’ as China’s military base will mainly serve as a supply station even if it is created to support escort groups engaging in anti-terrorist and anti-piracy missions,” it paraphrased a navy military expert, Li Jie, as saying.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It also cited unnamed analysts urging people “not to politicize or over-interpret the visit.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The US, France and Japan already have facilities in Djibouti, and China Military Online said that Fang visited the Chinese guided missile frigate Sanya, which was making a port call after patrolling in the Gulf of Aden and off the Somali coast for more than 90 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The defense ministry reposted its report on its website.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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