China Upgrades Military Base In Djibouti Near Red Sea Shipping Routes To Monitor U.S. Movements In Gulf

China has upgraded and modernised its Djibouti base to expand its influence in the region, carry out surveillance and monitor developments in Africa and the wider Middle East, especially since the U.S-Iran war continues.

According to satellite imagery, Beijing has equipped the military site with new equipment, naval and military assets, new antennas and radar systems.

The orientation and the type of equipment are diverse to allow transmission and identification of signals in different frequencies and ranges.

A new communication system was also reportedly installed at the base to strengthen the intelligence and command network between China’s forces in the Gulf and Africa and also the headquarters of the Armed Forces in Beijing.

The base, which became operational in 2017, serves as a centre for Chinese operations in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

The facility is also close to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which is one of the most crucial maritime chokepoints.

According to sources, the US war with Iran and the closure of Hormuz, along with the Houthis’ seizure of Yemen’s Red Sea Coast and the Perim Island, have increased the need for intelligence gathering in the region, which prompted China to upgrade its Djibouti base.

This is not the first time that the base was upgraded, as new systems and equipment have been brought here from time to time, enabling China to maintain its grip on the region.

With the new equipment, China will be able to keep an eye on the slightest military movements in the region involving the U.S., Iran and the Houthis.

Apart from China, the U.S., Italy, Japan and France also have military bases in the region, some of them less than 16 km away from Beijing’s site in Djibouti.