China planning bases in India vicinity: US report
China has been “actively planning” to establish additional military facilities to support its naval and air operations in several countries in India’s neighbourhood, says an annual report of the US Department of War.
The report, titled “Military and Security Developments Involving the People’s Republic of China-2025” and presented to the US Congress, was released today. It also mentions that Beijing has been “probably seeking to prevent deepening of US-India ties and itself helping Pakistan with latest fighter jets”.
The report also hints at Chinese help to Pakistan around Operation Sindoor. “Before May 2025, China delivered 20 units of its J-10C fighter jet to Pakistan as part of two previous orders totalling 36 planes since 2020,” it says.
And in what could alarm analysts in India, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China is actively considering and planning for additional military facilities to support naval and air projection. China is likely considering bases in Bangladesh, Myanmar, Indonesia and Sri Lanka. It already has one in Pakistan at Gwadar on the Arabian Sea coast.
Also, China’s desire to have bases abroad extends to Angola, Cuba, Equatorial Guinea, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia, Nigeria, Papua New Guinea, Seychelles, Solomon Islands, Tajikistan, Thailand, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates and Vanuatu, says the report.
From the Indian perspective, the bases in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and Seychelles are vital due to their location in the Indian Ocean Region.
The report says the PLA is probably most interested in military access along the sea lines of communication in the Malacca Strait, located east of India and the Strait of Hormuz (in Persian Gulf) and other areas in Africa and the West Asia.
On the India-China relationship, the report assesses that “China probably seeks to capitalise on decreased tension along the Line of Actual Control to stabilise bilateral relations and prevent the deepening of US-India ties”.
India probably remains sceptical of China’s actions and motives. Continued mutual distrust and other irritants almost certainly limit the bilateral relationship, says the report.
On China’s growing military exports, the report says Beijing offers three combat aircraft for export, including the fifth generation FC-31 and the fourth generation J-10C multirole combat aircraft. China and Pakistan co-produce the JF-17 light combat aircraft. In addition to manned aircraft, China has supplied armed UAVs ‘Caihong’ and ‘Wing Loong’ to Pakistan, Myanmar, Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Indonesia, Iraq, Morocco, Serbia and the UAE.
During the next five years, China would probably grow its naval export market, adding to a customer base that currently includes Bangladesh, Malaysia, Pakistan and Thailand, the report adds.
