When the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) fired the symbolic first shots at its first overseas military base, in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa, just over two months ago, it was a wake-up call to the world that China’s growing overseas interests will be escorted by a powerful military. Military insiders told the South China Morning Post that Djibouti would not be China’s sole overseas military base, with Beijing planning to explore the possibility of more foreign military outposts in Africa, the Middle East and other areas to protect its expanding overseas interests in the Indian Ocean region.
“China needs more overseas military bases because the country’s expanding interests have also been challenged by some countries and local armed forces,” one military insider, who requested anonymity, said. PLA troops had conducted at least two live-fire drills in the desert in Djibouti since September 22 that would help them “explore a new training model for Chinese overseas garrisons”, base commander Liang Yang told the PLA Daily last month.
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