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With Eyes On Indian Ocean, China Sends Troops To First Overseas Military Base In Djibouti
Swarajya Staff
Jul 12, 2017, 03:54 PM | Updated 03:54 PM IST
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In an effort to boost its presence in the Indian Ocean Region, China has sent its troops to Djibouti in the Horn of Africa to set up its first overseas military base.
State news agency Xinhua said late on Tuesday the ships had departed from Zhanjiang in southern China "to set up a support base in Djibouti".
"The base will also be conducive to overseas tasks including military cooperation, joint exercises, protecting overseas Chinese, as well as jointly maintaining security of international strategic seaways," the news agency said in its report.
It will be China's first overseas naval base, though Beijing officially describes it as a logistics facility. China says the support base will be used for peacekeeping and humanitarian aid in Africa and West Asia. However, Djibouti’s position on the northwestern edge of the Indian Ocean has fuelled worries in India that it would become another pearl in China’s wider strategy of dominating the region.
Also Read: The Dragon In The Indian Ocean Is Shaping Local Geopolitics; Does India Have A Counter?
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