China says it’s not looking for war. Its military indicates otherwise.

Dec 27, 2021 at 07:16 AM CST

Shannon Longworth

China appears increasingly prepared to take military action, even as President Xi Jinping resists the idea of another cold war. — Image credit: TRANSBAIKAL TERRITORY, RUSSIA SEPTEMBER 13, 2018: Chinese Type 96 (ZTZ-96) tank during a parade of military hardware and aviation involved in the main stage of the Vostok 2018 military exercise held jointly by the Russian Armed Forces and the Chinese People's Liberation Army at the Tsugol range. Vadim Savitsky/Russian Defence Ministry Press Office/TASS (Photo by Vadim SavitskyTASS via Getty Images)

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China reportedly has plans to set up its first military base on the Atlantic Ocean. The Wall Street Journal reported the superpower is eyeing Equatorial Guinea for the location, according U.S. officials citing confidential reports.

While China has relationships with many other countries, its official military presence internationally is limited. Its first official overseas base was built in Djibouti and formally opened in August 2017.

The U.S. Department of Defense tracks the country’s activity across the globe and released updated information on potential locations for future bases in a 2021 report. According to the report, the People’s Republic of China “is pursuing additional military facilities to support naval, air, ground, cyber, and space power projection” in countries such as Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola and Tajikistan.

Shannon Longworth

Shannon Longworth was an investigative reporter and anchor for Straight Arrow News from 2021 to 2023. She started her career on California’s central coast, then made her way back home working in the sprawling suburbs of New York City

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REP. MICHAEL WALTZ: “THEY’RE AT WAR WITH US, AND THEY’RE CERTAINLY IN A COLD WAR WITH US AND AMERICA NEEDS TO WAKE UP TO IT.”

LONGWORTH: A COLD WAR WITH CHINA?

WITH MORE THAN TWO MILLION ACTIVE-DUTY PERSONNEL, CHINA HAS THE LARGEST MILITARY IN THE WORLD.

AND IT’S FLEXING THAT MUSCLE AROUND THE GLOBE.

LET ME EXPLAIN.

CHINESE OFFICIALS INSIST THE “ASIA-PACIFIC REGION SHOULD NOT RELAPSE INTO THE CONFRONTATION AND DIVISION OF THE COLD WAR ERA,” BUT THE US DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE SAYS THE COUNTRY’S BEHAVIOR INDICATES OTHERWISE.

THE DOD IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO TRACK CHINA’S ACTIVITY ACROSS THE GLOBE.

THE GOAL IS TO ASSESS THEIR MILITARY STRATEGY NOW AND IN THE FUTURE.

THE DEPARTMENT RECENTLY RELEASED ITS FINDINGS IN A 2021 REPORT TO CONGRESS.

THE HIGHLIGHTS?

WELL, WE’RE LEARNING MORE ABOUT CHINA’S FIRST OFFICIAL MILITARY BASE ABROAD IN DJIBOUTI.

IT’S BEEN THERE SINCE AUGUST 2017, ALLOWING CHINA TO DEVELOP SOME INFLUENCE IN AFRICA AND THE MIDDLE EAST.

BUT WAIT, THERE’S MORE.

ACCORDING TO THE REPORT, THE PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA “IS PURSUING ADDITIONAL MILITARY FACILITIES TO SUPPORT NAVAL, AIR, GROUND, CYBER, AND SPACE POWER PROJECTION” … IN A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES.

AND CHINA ALREADY HAS RELATIONSHIPS WITH SEVERAL OF THEM.

FOR EXAMPLE, PAKISTAN’S NAVY SAYS CHINA BUILT ITS MOST ADVANCED WARSHIP JUST FOR THEM. CHINA PRESENTED IT IN NOVEMBER.

IN TAJIKISTAN, THE PARLIAMENT SAYS CHINA’S FUNDING AN OUTPOST FOR THE TAJIK POLICE ALONG THE AFGHAN BORDER.

AND, WHEN IT COMES TO THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTS THAT U.S. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES DISCOVERED CHINA WAS SECRETLY BUILDING A MILITARY BASE THERE…AT A PORT NEAR ABU DHABI.

REPORTEDLY, CONSTRUCTION ON THE FACILITY STOPPED AFTER THE US INTERVENED.

BUT CONSTRUCTION COULD BE STARTING SOON ON CHINA’S FIRST PERMANENT MILITARY BASE ON THE ATLANTIC OCEAN. THE WALL STREET JOURNAL REPORTED THE SUPERPOWER’S EYEING EQUATORIAL GUINEA FOR THE LOCATION, ACCORDING TO OFFICIALS–CITING CLASSIFIED REPORTS.

ALSO, KEEP IN MIND–CHINA’S TOTALLY FOSTERING THESE CONNECTIONS THROUGH THE ROADS, OR PORTS, RAILWAYS, AND ENERGY PIPELINES IT’S BUILDING IN MORE THAN 60 COUNTRIES AS PART OF ITS BELT AND ROAD INITIATIVE–A GLOBAL INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT STRATEGY ADOPTED BY THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT IN 2013.

SO YEAH, THAT’S EXPANSIVE, BUT KEEP IN MIND, THE US IS ALSO EXPANDING ITS INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE.

THE DOD SAYS IT HAS SOME PLANS TO DETER ANY POTENTIAL AGGRESSION FROM CHINA. FOR EXAMPLE, THE US WILL BE BUILDING UP ALREADY-EXISTING MILITARY BASES IN GUAM AND AUSTRALIA.

YET, A THREAT ALSO EXISTS SOMEWHERE WE CAN’T, EXACTLY, MONITOR TOO CLOSELY.

THAT’S INSIDE CHINA–WHERE REPORTED HYPERSONIC MISSILES ARE BEING TESTED…

AND MOCKUPS ARE BEING BUILT OF U.S. WARSHIPS–POSSIBLY USED AS TRAINING TARGETS.

SO, WHAT DO YOU THINK? ARE YOU WORRIED ABOUT GOING TO WAR WITH CHINA?

LET ME KNOW IN THE COMMENTS AND MAKE SURE YOU HIT THE STRAIGHT ARROW BIAS METER.

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