Link to original story on Jamestown website. On July 11, China's first unit to be stationed abroad at a Chinese-owned base departed Southern China for Djibouti, a journey of roughly 20, li 10, kilometers across the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. In the early s, Chinese naval port calls far from China were rare. Whereas today, Chinese ships regularly visit foreign ports, and China has dispatched 26 escort taskforces to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden-and to stretch the PLA Navy's capabilities.
The unit's departure represents the culmination of several years of careful diplomacy. In the run-up to the establishment of the port, China has invested heavily in Djibouti.
Addressing the taskforce, GEN Fan urged them to "improve coordination, speed-up construction [of the base] [β¦] and provide strong support for military operations to carry out overseas missions.
Even Japan, which has had a presence in the small country since , in decided to expand its base, apparently in response to China Sina , October 14, But Djibouti is the first overt and explicitly military-related outpost.
Chinese naval ships already visit the port an average of four times a year, and this will only increase as China expands its far-seas maritime operations.
