China Floats Idea of Naval Base in Gulf of Aden To Combat Piracy

A senior Chinese naval officer has suggested that China establish a permanent base in the Gulf of Aden to support its anti-piracy operations.Rear Admiral Yin Zhou's proposal was posted on the defence ministry website. Mr Yin said supplying and maintaining the fleet off Somalia was challenging without such a base, and said other nations were unlikely to object.

China's navy currently has no overseas bases, but there are calls in the media and web forums for this to change. The proposal comes after a Chinese cargo ship and its crew of 25 were rescued from Somali pirates on Monday, amid reports that a $4m (£2.5m) ransom had been paid to their kidnappers. ...........BBC

Posted in: China,Naval