Beijing has aggressively upgraded its military presence in Djibouti, establishing a sophisticated surveillance hub just six miles from a critical U.S. military base, a move a former Pentagon official warns could allow China to “wiretap the Red Sea” and monitor rival military activities. New facilities, including a massive, camouflaged satellite dish and advanced communication antennas, suggest an intent to gather intelligence and track naval movements in a region vital to global trade, raising alarms just as Chinese President Xi Jinping prepares for a White House visit. This expansion, detailed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, transforms China’s sole overseas base into a strategic listening post overlooking a major maritime chokepoint, a stark contrast to the U.S.’s extensive global network of bases and a development that echoes historical great power tactics of establishing intelligence outposts to observe rival fleets. The move also comes amid heightened tensions, including a past incident where U.S. pilots were lasered by Chinese-operated equipment near the same base, underscoring the potential for friction and the strategic importance of this proximity for Beijing, which is increasingly reliant on Middle Eastern oil and seeking to project power globally.
Adapted from: Latest World News on Fox News
