The Center for Strategic and International Studies published on 20 December 2021 an analysis titled "Is China Building a New String of Pearls in the Atlantic Ocean?" by Bonny Lin, Jude Blanchette, Joseph S. Bermudez Jr., and Mvemba Phezo Dizolele.
This is a detailed look at recent reports that China may be seeking to establish a military facility at the port of Bata in the Gulf of Guinea. The government of Equatorial Guinea denies the report. China has yet to officially comment on its military intentions in Equatorial Guinea, but Beijing has started to make a case for a military base in the Gulf of Guinea. The situation is reminiscent of the period leading up to the announcement of China's first overseas military base in Djibouti.
