Politics
10:39, 03-Aug-2017
Chinese military base officially opens in Djibouti
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By CGTN's Sam
China officially opened its first military base in Djibouti, Africa in on Tuesday. The event was attended by more than 300 people, including deputy Chinese naval commander Tian Zhong and Djibouti’s defense minister.
The overseas base will enable China’s military to better fulfill its international responsibilities, such as conducting escort operations in the Gulf of Aden and waters off the coast of Somali.
Ships carrying Chinese military personnel depart Zhanjiang, southern China's Guangdong Province, July 11, 2017, to set up a support base in Djibouti. /Xinhua Photo
Ships carrying Chinese military personnel depart Zhanjiang, southern China's Guangdong Province, July 11, 2017, to set up a support base in Djibouti. /Xinhua Photo
Chinese military personnel will also provide support to peacekeeping and humanitarian missions in the region.
Djibouti is located on the African Horn on the eastern side of the continent, with a population of less than one million, and also hosts troops from US, France, and Japan.
The launch of the base marks the People’s Liberation Army's (PLA's) 90th anniversary. At a ceremony for the PLA anniversary in Beijing, President Xi Jinping said that the Chinese people “treasure peace and we absolutely do not engage in invasion and expansion... However, we have the confidence to conquer all forms of invasion.”
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