US - China may be eyeing its first military base on the Atlantic Ocean: report

[Saithan]

China may be eyeing its first military base on the Atlantic Ocean: report

US officials, citing classified American intelligence reports, told the Wall Street Journal that Beijing could be eyeing Equatorial Guinea’s port city of Bata for the base.

nypost.com

China may be looking at setting up its first military base off Africa’s Atlantic coast, according to classified US intelligence reports.

US officials told the Wall Street Journal that intelligence suggests China is eyeing the small African nation of Equatorial Guinea for its base.

Such a nightmare scenario for the US was suggested back in April by Gen. Stephen Townsend, the head of US Africa Command, who warned during a Senate hearing that China’s “most significant threat” would be “a militarily useful naval facility on the Atlantic coast of Africa.”

“By militarily useful I mean something more than a place that they can make port calls and get gas and groceries,” Townsend said at the time. “I’m talking about a port where they can rearm with munitions and repair naval vessels.”

 

[Domobran7]

And I guess that numerous American naval bases near China aren't a nightmare scenario for the Chinese? At any rate, it was only a matter of time before something like this happened: we are seeing a change of empires ongoing, although it is an open question whether the multipolar world being established will last, or will end up as merely an intermission between two dominions (much like how we had Pax Britannica - intermission - Pax Americana).

 

[Agha Sher]

And I guess that numerous American naval bases near China aren't a nightmare scenario for the Chinese? At any rate, it was only a matter of time before something like this happened: we are seeing a change of empires ongoing, although it is an open question whether the multipolar world being established will last, or will end up as merely an intermission between two dominions (much like how we had Pax Britannica - intermission - Pax Americana).

There was no Pax Britannica or Pax Americana. do you know what Pax means?

 

[Domobran7]

There was no Pax Britannica or Pax Americana. do you know what Pax means?

I know what Pax means. But that is how the periods have been called.

 

[Gary]

Just my thoughts, if China expand its fleet basing outside the relative safety of its coastline, would it not be a nightmare for the PLAN to try to defend those in times of conflict ?

Think about its base in Djibouti, if war erupts it will be at the mercy of US airpower in the Middle East. A base in the Atlantic would even be harder to defend consider the logistics and distance. Think about Tsingtao during WW1.

One more thing, the host country for those base (Equatorial Guinea) are not what you call having a credible military. This will not be like the Japan-US alliance where both US and Japanese forces could defend one another side by side.

 

[Domobran7]

In any case of a serious conflict, advanced bases will always be at risk, and overall cannot really be defended except through sea control. That is why having friendly countries nearby is so important.

 

[Gary]

This could be another siege of Tsingtao moment. Where the German fleet so far away to be useful from their main port in Germany.

Siege of Tsingtao - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

In war, whatever supplies China stored during peace time in that particular base are finite therefore would necessitate a re-supply. Would China risks sending a huge portion of its fleet out of the relative safety of the first island chain (thereby fighting their way into Guinea) or self intern themselves in their ports like the German Hochseeflotte.

If history teaches us something, the political value of such fleet (especially one built in such short notice) outweigh the real military value, hence we saw the Kaiser unwilling to send its prized fleet to counter the RN after Jutland.

The destruction of significant PLAN assets trying to fight its way into some bases in Africa will likely take a political toll on the Chinese civil and military leadership. After all based on my observation, China really took pride on its fleet.

 

[Domobran7]

This could be another siege of Tsingtao moment. Where the German fleet so far away to be useful from their main port in Germany.

Siege of Tsingtao - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

In war, whatever supplies China stored during peace time in that particular base are finite therefore would necessitate a re-supply. Would China risks sending a huge portion of its fleet out of the relative safety of the first island chain (thereby fighting their way into Guinea) or self intern themselves in their ports like the German Hochseeflotte.

If history teaches us something, the political value of such fleet (especially one built in such short notice) outweigh the real military value, hence we saw the Kaiser unwilling to send its prized fleet to counter the RN after Jutland.

The destruction of significant PLAN assets trying to fight its way into some bases in Africa will likely take a political toll on the Chinese civil and military leadership. After all based on my observation, China really took pride on its fleet.

True. OTOH, China probably isn't planning for an all-out war, and forward bases can be useful in a Cold War type situation, as political statements.

 

[RogerRanger]

How about Bermuda for the Chinese? That would be a good place wouldn't it? Literally the only island in the western Atlantic and its controlled by some tiny island off the coast of Europe. Perfect place for the Chinese to ally with and get basing rights. Sick of the American Empire the Evil Empire.

 

[RogerRanger]

True. OTOH, China probably isn't planning for an all-out war, and forward bases can be useful in a Cold War type situation, as political statements.

No Chinese strategic is very similar to US strategy after the civil war and leading up to WW1. Push the foreign powers our of North America and the Caribbean, then move into the western pacific. In military terms the Chinese position is similar to that of Germany in WW1. Where the British had the allies and the navy, so the Germans would be stuck in Germany unable to break out to support their overseas territories. So the Chinese are now working on a breakout navy to support their OST's.

Right now though for the Chinese they don't have the military/political power to enforce the pearls or silk road. The Japanese and Indians are still a problem, then the Turks, then the Russians, then the French and British. So only after that are the Americans threatened. And we see the American dominion lining up to fight the Chinese as well. Its a shame we should all be allying to defeat the evil Empire.

 

[RogerRanger]

Just my thoughts, if China expand its fleet basing outside the relative safety of its coastline, would it not be a nightmare for the PLAN to try to defend those in times of conflict ?

Think about its base in Djibouti, if war erupts it will be at the mercy of US airpower in the Middle East. A base in the Atlantic would even be harder to defend consider the logistics and distance. Think about Tsingtao during WW1.

One more thing, the host country for those base (Equatorial Guinea) are not what you call having a credible military. This will not be like the Japan-US alliance where both US and Japanese forces could defend one another side by side.

Also the British have an island in the South Atlantic called Ascension island, which is just a military base.