Amid fears of Chinese base in Gabon, Equatorial Guinea, US interferes
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The Wall Street Journal has revealed that the US has been trying to influence the African Nations against an agreement with China.
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Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba, left, and Chinese President Xi Jinping inspect an honor guard during a welcome ceremony at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, Wednesday, April 19, 2023 (AP)
Citing US officials, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that the United States has been trying to influence Gabon and Equatorial Guinea against the stationing of a Chinese naval base on their territories.
The African nations have shorelines on the Atlantic Ocean, which the US considers a strategic outpost. Having a Chinese military base there, thus, is regarded as a national security threat and spikes fear among US officials.
"Any time the Chinese start nosing around a coastal African country, we get anxious," one US official said, reported by the WSJ.
Back in August, it was claimed that Chinese President Xi Jinping and former Gabonese President Ali Bongo Ondimba agreed to deploy Chinese military forces on Gabon's coast. The US, on its part, urged Gabon to revoke its promise.
However, when Bongo was overthrown, the US had to fabricate a new plan.
Russia, China denounce all US interventions
Despite the US having clear knowledge of what is considered a national threat to a country's security, it interferes in other nations' affairs regardless.
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping both accused the US of interference in their respective countries' affairs.
They jointly denounced the "US policy of interfering in the internal affairs of other states."
"The leaders of the two countries realize that the US is practically implementing a policy of double containment, (toward) both Russia and China," Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov said.
Just yesterday, the US conducted its third round of joint military exercises with the Philippines in the South China Sea, provoking China further.
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