Chinese plans to build a base in the Atlantic send jitters to the US with problems in the Indo-Pacific. Seeing Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ship in the western sphere will soon set Washington facing Beijing in its backyard.
Equatorial Guinea will be its gateway to the Atlantic Ocean, causing anxiety for NATO, especially the US. Establishing a blue water capacity and a base there will change everything.
Beijing expands base in the Atlantic
US intelligence is sure that Beijing's expansion to have an all-year-around military presence in the country between Cameroon and Gabon, reported the Express UK.
Establishing such a base will be a foothold to reach the Atlantic for its farthest base. One realization is that PLAN ships can rearm and refit in a location not far from the Eastern Coast of America. This, according to US officials causing jitters for the White House and the Pentagon.
John Finer, a US national security adviser, went to the nation of Equatorial Guinea in October, and he spoke to President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and asked him to turn down the Chinese overtures to build a base, noted Eagles Vine.
Joe Biden's representative spoke about concerns that activity by the PLAN would be affecting national security concerns. But, the Mbasogo government does not state the matter.
The report highlights that a military HQ in Bata port will have severe consequences for the west. Especially with a deep-water commercial port accessible to the PLAN, with Chinese plans to build a base in the Atlantic that will affect the western sphere.
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In April, General Stephen Townsend, US Africa Command Chief, remarked that he gave congress a warning that Beijing might be building a navy base located on the Atlantic coast, cited VOA News.
He added that the Chinese navy would use the port to arm up and even fix vessels to make it easier to access western seas. This port will be strategic for Beijing in expanding its influence more.
Pentagon affected by Chinese expansion
The US military agency reported how China is getting technologically advanced than before. Having the tech to build world-class ships in their facilities would soon rove the seas in Kenya, Tanzania, and even Angola.
Its military base in Djibouti was opened in 2017, located on the Indian Ocean, as it is first farther than the South China Sea.
The port facility has been upgraded with new facilities for submarines and aircraft carriers which are crucial to military prowess. Next on the menu of Beijing is the Guinea port close to the Atlantic to project naval power more.
An analysis done by the experts in the Pentagon about the PLAN's capacity is that it has peaked at 355 ships and subs too. Included in their force are 145 capital ships.
The bases in the three other locations, the Guinea port, would allow direct access to the Atlantic Ocean. Also, China is a serious challenger to American hegemony in the region.
One more thing is that Equatorial Guinea will have the resources to defend Chinese interests in the West Part of Africa. Last 2009, the Bata port enlarged in Guinea, coinciding with Chinese plans to build a base in the Atlantic, and now the US is trying to stop it.
