US : China military base in Pakistan |
A Pentagon report singled out Pakistan as a possible location for a future Chinese military base, as it forecast that Beijing would likely build more bases overseas after establishing a facility in the African nation of Djibouti. The prediction came in a 97-page annual report to Congress that saw advances throughout the Chinese military in 2016, funded by robust defense spending that the Pentagon estimated exceeded $180 billion. That is higher than China`s official defense budget figure of 954.35 billion yuan ($140.4 billion). Chinese leaders appeared committed to defense spending hikes for the "foreseeable future," even as economic growth slows. The report repeatedly cited China`s construction of its first overseas naval base in Djibouti, which is already home to a key US military base and is strategically located at the southern entrance to the Red Sea on the route to the Suez Canal. China most likely will seek to establish additional military bases in countries with which it has a longstanding friendly relationship and similar strategic interests, such as Pakistan. Djibouti`s position on the northwestern edge of the Indian Ocean has fueled worries in India that it would become another of China`s `string of pearls` of military alliances and assets ringing India, including Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.
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