Pentagon say China has ‘likely considered’ military facilities in many countries including SL

The Press Trust of India, quoting a Pentagon report to Congress, has named several countries including Sri Lanka where China has likely considered locations for bases and logistic facilities of the People’s Liberation Army.

China considers the report as “serving the US’ own hegemonic goals, calling it “speculative” and aimed at containing China’s rightful national defense development at a time when the US is showing huge strategic malice against China by dragging it to unfair arms talks, and creates excuses to further strengthen its nuclear capability, Chinese experts said on Thursday.

Unlike the US, China will not use, or threaten to use, nuclear weapons on anyone as long as it is not attacked by a nuclear weapon first, experts said.

The countries so named in the Pentagon’s annual report on “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China” are: Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, United Arab Emirates, Kenya, Seychelles, Tanzania, Angola, and Tajikistan.

These countries are being considered as locations for additional military bases and logistic facilities by China, according to the report.

“A global PLA (People’s Liberation Army) military logistics network could both interfere with US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the PRC’s global military objectives evolve,” the Pentagon said in the report.

China has probably already made overtures to Namibia, Vanuatu, and the Solomon Islands, it said, adding the known focus areas of PLA planning are along the Sea Lines of Communication from China to the Strait of Hormuz, Africa, and the Pacific Islands, the report has said.

Similarly, the Pentagon said, Beijing uses the One Belt One Road (OBOR) intitiative to support its strategy of national rejuvenation by seeking to expand global transportation and trade linkages to support its development and deepen its economic integration with nations along its periphery and beyond.

“OBOR projects associated with pipelines and port construction in Pakistan intend to decrease China’s reliance on transporting energy resources through strategic choke points, such as the Strait of Malacca,” it said.

China leverages the OBOR to invest in projects along China’’s western and southern periphery to improve stability and diminish threats along its borders, the report said.

First announced in 2013, China’s OBOR initiative is a signature foreign and economic policy advanced by President Xi Jinping.

According to the Pentagon, a global PLA military logistics network could both interfere with the US military operations and support offensive operations against the United States as the Chinese global military objectives evolve.