China is modernizing its military operations in an African country

The Chinese military base in the East African country of Djibouti has undergone significant improvements as world powers desperately seek alternative sea routes amid the US-Iran war.

Djibouti, located on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, is generally considered an important access point to the Suez Canal, one of the busiest maritime routes in the world.

It has a vital 20-mile-wide choke point that supports approximately 16% of global maritime trade.

As a result, Djibouti has attracted some of the world's largest economic powers, including the United States, China and Japan, all of which have established military bases in this small East African country.

A BBC profile of the country shows that Djibouti is home to "the largest US military base in Africa, China's first overseas military base, and Japan's first military base since World War II."

As recently published by an American think tank, significant improvements to the Chinese military base should considerably enhance its ability to monitor military activities across the Middle East and Africa.

A report by the Washington-based think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies revealed that the Chinese military had installed new equipment and devices, according to changes observed from satellite images.

"The Chinese military has modernized its base in Djibouti, strengthening its operational and intelligence-gathering capabilities in the Middle East and Africa.

Commercial satellite images show that the People's Liberation Army (PLA) has installed new equipment that will enhance its internal communications capabilities while enabling signals intelligence (SIGINT) collection, according to the report.

Since mid-2024, the addition of two communications facilities at the People's Liberation Army (PLA) overseas base in Djibouti has extended China's operational reach far beyond its borders, enhancing its ability to gather signals intelligence (SIGINT) across Africa and the Middle East.

Rationale for improvements in Djibouti

The report showed that Houthi attacks on ships in the Red Sea since late 2023, along with increased US and Israeli military operations against Iran, have increased the number of US forces in the region.

In July 2026, more than 20 US Navy warships, including two aircraft carrier groups, and hundreds of aircraft, were supporting operations around Iran and the Strait of Hormuz.

As recently reported, the advances made by the Houthi movement have forced major world powers, including Saudi Arabia, China and the United States, to seek strategic measures to urgently curb the group's actions.

In September, Saudi Arabia temporarily shut down a 1,200-kilometer oil pipeline carrying up to five million barrels of oil per day, due to a territorial advance by the Houthis.

At the time, the group reportedly captured the port of Mocha, a strategic Yemeni port near Africa, giving it greater leverage over one of the world's most important maritime routes.

Mocha is located approximately 80 kilometers from the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which separates Yemen from Djibouti and Eritrea on the east coast of Africa.

As mentioned earlier, Djibouti is located on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the strategic waterway linking the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and off the coast of East Africa, and this waterway is currently facing a major crisis.

China's modernized facilities in Djibouti could play a key role in containing this problem.

For Beijing, the base could become an important tool for gathering intelligence, monitoring foreign forces and supporting its growing military presence far from home.