U.S. Senator James Inhofe (Republican of Oklahoma) on 29 April 2021 asked the Director of the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency about the Chinese presence in Africa during a session of the Senate Armed Services Committee.
In his question, Senator Inhofe said China "is aggressively pursuing a naval base on the west coast of Africa that would give China an enduring military presence in the Atlantic." In his response, the Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency said China will "place military forces where they see they need that kind of capability" but suggested this is a long-term program.
Comment: The Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency sidestepped any reference to a Chinese naval base on Africa's west coast. It is not clear if Senator Inhofe was referring to a specific location or just commenting generally about the future possibility of a Chinese naval base on the west coast.
