America and China Are in a Global Fight Over Military Bases
The U.S. demonstrated its strength in the contest when it blocked, for now, the construction of a Chinese military base in the UAE.
The Chinese People's Liberation Army opening its base in Djibouti.
Photographer: STR/AFP via Getty ImagesThe Taiwan Strait is the most contested flash point in the U.S.-China military rivalry. But that rivalry is also playing out in locations far from China’s shores. A global battle over the placement of military bases is underway, as Beijing tries to expand its overseas presence and Washington tries to block it. This game of geopolitical cat-and-mouse is likely to last decades. And it shows, paradoxically, why an America that is too focused on the Western Pacific may struggle to stymie Beijing.
The most recent skirmish occurred in the United Arab Emirates. According to the Wall Street Journal, U.S. intelligence agencies discovered that China was secretly building a military installation at the port of Khalifa. The revelation prompted sharp warnings that the project could jeopardize the UAE’s critical security relationship with Washington — and halted the construction activity for the time being. But the UAE isn’t the only place where China’s military footprint is expanding.