"China Plans Second African Military Base in Kenya, Claims US Congress"

The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission under the US Congress revealed that China is planning to build a second naval base stationed in Africa, located in Kenya.

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Gyumin] The U.S. Congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission has revealed that China is planning to build its second naval base in Africa, located in Kenya.

According to Kenya's daily The Standard on the 29th (local time), the commission stated in a recent report submitted to Congress that Kenya's port facilities, including Mombasa and Lamu, provide China with commercial advantages and military capabilities.

China has invested trillions of won in Kenyan infrastructure projects, including the Standard Gauge Railway (SGR) connecting the port city of Mombasa to the capital Nairobi. Subsequently, in 2018, China built its first overseas naval base in Djibouti, located in northeastern Kenya. This base is situated near U.S. military facilities.

The commission's report explained, "Although no further developments regarding the base in Djibouti have been reported, China is weighing where to build its next base."

The report analyzed that China is also considering neighboring countries such as Angola and Seychelles as candidates for naval base construction. It added, "Angola, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, and Namibia have port facilities similar to Djibouti's harbor infrastructure, which provides both commercial and military functions."

The report stated, "China, while calling itself a peace mediator, is expanding its military power and seeking opportunities to promote its role as a strong yet helpful partner in Africa."

China's construction of an overseas port network is part of President Xi Jinping's Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), a multi-trillion-dollar infrastructure and development program connecting China, Central Asia, and Europe via land and maritime Silk Roads, which has been underway globally for about a decade.

The United States and China have been fiercely competing over trade and investment deals with Kenya since the inauguration of the new administration under William Ruto in September.