Print this article
China is putting the final coat of paint on a dock in the East African nation of Djibouti that is large enough to host its nuclear submarines and aircraft carrier. It’s not the only location in Africa where China is trying to gain a military advantage, it just happens to be the one down the road from an American base.
China has of late placed big bets on the African continent, building everything from ports and roads to soccer stadiums and presidential palaces, often using “debt diplomacy” or loans structured so that a few missed payments yield a 99-year lease to the Chinese government. U.S. Africa Command, stood up in 2009, oversees 6,000 troops operating across 53 nations on the continent with just 0.3% of the DOD budget. Its objectives include helping to fight al Qaeda- and ISIS-affiliated terrorists and train up partner militaries in the great power competition unfolding across the continent.