Chatham House published on 25 March 2024 a commentary titled "Is China Eyeing a Second Military Base in Africa as the US Struggles to Maintain One in Niger?" by Alex Vines, Armida van Rij, and Henry Tugendhat.
China opened its first and only military base outside the country in Djibouti in 2017. Rumors persist that Beijing is seeking another base in Africa. But the mood across Africa about establishing more foreign bases is increasingly ambivalent. As the United States is being pushed out of its base in Niger, China may be wary of the impermanent nature of these agreements with African governments.
The authors suggest that rather than establish another full-fledged military base somewhere in Africa, China will seek to expand its civilian port infrastructure efforts and build dual-use facilities in African ports that it has invested in.
