China to build second foreign naval base near Gwadar in Pakistan

After Djibouti, China is planning to build its second foreign naval base in Pakistan, according to a South China Morning Post (SCMP) report.

The base is most likely to come up near Gwadar, according to Beijing-based military analyst Zhou Chenming.

"China needs to set up another base in Gwadar for its warships because Gwadar is now a civilian port," SCMP quoted Chenming as saying.

"It's a common practice to have separate facilities for warships and merchant's vessels because of their different operations. Merchant ships need a bigger port with a lot of space for warehouses and containers, but warships need a full range of maintenance and logistical support services," Chenming added.

Another source, which is close to the People's Liberation Army, has also confirmed the development.

"Gwadar port can't provide specific services for warships ... Public order there is in a mess. It is not a good place to carry out military logistical support," the source told the SCMP.

The SCMP story came after a report, which appeared on the Washington-based website The Daily Caller, a few days ago indicated the same.

US Army Reserve colonel Lawrence Sellin (retired) had stated that a consensus was reached in one of the meetings between Chinese and Pakistani military officers that a military base would come up on the Jiwani peninsula near Gwadar and close to the Iranian border.
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China forges 'strategic' ties with Djibouti after opening base, grants aid

China on Thursday offered loans to Djibouti, the site of its first overseas military base, as the Horn of Africa state's leader told President Xi Jinping he considered himself a great friend of the Asian giant.

With a population of less than one million, Djibouti has long punched above its weight, thanks to a strategic location on the Gulf of Aden, one of the world's busiest shipping routes linking Europe to Asia and the Middle East.

China formally opened the base, which it calls a logistics facility, on August 1, the 90th birthday of the People's Liberation Army. Djibouti also hosts large US and French bases.

Djibouti was politically stable, Xi told its president, Ismail Omar Guelleh, at a meeting in Beijing's Great Hall of the People.

"China sets great store by its relations with Djibouti," he added.

Guelleh, who has been in power since 1999, said he considered himself a "great friend of China's" and could not count the number of times he had visited.

"Djibouti is known for being a country of peace, exchanges and meetings," Guelleh said.

"I would like to recall the geostrategic position of Djibouti and its importance in this part of the world as an island of stability for Asia, Africa and the Middle East."
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