China’s little known £450 million military base that sits on the Suez Canal | World | News

President Xi, who serves as the chairman of the CMC, approved of the idea and secured the spot by 2015, according to GlobalSecurity.Org, an independent organization based in Washington, D.C.

At the time, U.S. officials expressed concern about China’s seeming intent to “edge out Western influence” beyond the Asia-Pacific, while expanding its military, particularly its Navy.

“They are going to build a base in Djibouti, so that will be their first military location in Africa,” U.S. Army Gen. David Rodriguez, the commander of U.S. Africa Command, confirmed.