Global News

China’s potential military expansion through bases in Southeast Asia has made headlines in recent weeks. A media report that Beijing might be leasing part of Cambodia’s well-situated Ream naval base prompted Prime Minister Hun Sen to denounce the claims as “fake news.”

Despite Hun Sen’s claims, the overseas reach of China’s armed forces is growing. Some may watch the shift in the strategic balance with alarm, but others will recognize that as a major power and economy, China has legitimate reasons to expand its naval presence.

There is a pressing need, therefore, for other powers to move beyond alarmist finger-pointing and instead constructively engage with China as it evolves into a global maritime security actor.

Currently, China only has one overseas naval base, a support facility in Djibouti near the Chinese-operated port of Doraleh. The case for China’s presence in Djibouti is clear, as piracy remains a major problem in African waters.

But there has been greater controversy over reports that China is planning a similar base near the Gwadar port in Pakistan. This is a development that would greatly perturb another Asian powerhouse — India.

Chinese analysts argue that the proposed Gwadar naval base is not a military move, but driven by logistical concerns. China wants to develop Gwadar into a land and sea transit hub, providing China with an alternative access to the Indian Ocean

https://asia.nikkei.com/Opinion/China-s-naval-expansionism-is-natural-path-for-emerging-global-power