TY - JOUR
T1 - China’s Military Base in Djibouti
T2 - A Microcosm of China’s Growing Competition with the United States and New Bipolarity
AU - Cabestan, Jean-Pierre
N1 - Funding Information:
This research has been funded by the Research Grant Council of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (GRF No. HKBU 12400103).
PY - 2020/9/2
Y1 - 2020/9/2
N2 - This article analyzes China’ and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s rationale in opening what it calls a ‘logistical support facility’ in Djibouti as well as the missions that it is supposed to fulfil. The author also presents this base’s activities since its opening on 1 August 2017 and explores the potential role that the Chinese military stationed in Djibouti could play to secure Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road initiative and protect Chinese interests and nationals in Africa or the Middle East. Finally, it assesses the PLA base’s relations with other militaries present in Djibouti, particularly the US, the French and the Japanese, concluding that Djibouti operates as a microcosm of a multipolar world heading towards a bipolar, though asymmetrical, world order.
AB - This article analyzes China’ and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA)’s rationale in opening what it calls a ‘logistical support facility’ in Djibouti as well as the missions that it is supposed to fulfil. The author also presents this base’s activities since its opening on 1 August 2017 and explores the potential role that the Chinese military stationed in Djibouti could play to secure Xi Jinping’s Belt and Road initiative and protect Chinese interests and nationals in Africa or the Middle East. Finally, it assesses the PLA base’s relations with other militaries present in Djibouti, particularly the US, the French and the Japanese, concluding that Djibouti operates as a microcosm of a multipolar world heading towards a bipolar, though asymmetrical, world order.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85077032899&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1080/10670564.2019.1704994
DO - 10.1080/10670564.2019.1704994
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:85077032899
SN - 1067-0564
VL - 29
SP - 731
EP - 747
JO - Journal of Contemporary China
JF - Journal of Contemporary China
IS - 125
ER -