Equatorial Guinea's envoy rebukes allegations on China base in country

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
27 May 2023 19:12

In 2021, the Wall Street Journal published a report alleging that China is mulling the construction of a permanent military base in Equatorial Guinea.

Equatorial Guinea's Ambassador to Moscow Luciano Nkogo Ndong Ayekaba at a ceremony held at the Kremlin. (Sputnik)

Sputnik reported on Saturday that Equatorial Guinea's Ambassador to Russia Luciano Nkogo Ndong Ayekaba rejected a Wall Street Journal report that alleged China plans to build its first permanent military base in the Central African country.

The report which is dated 2021, cited US sources as saying that China was considering the construction of a military base at the port city of Bata where Chinese investors have previously constructed a commercial port opening to the Gulf of Guinea.

"Our country is a free state. We are friends with many countries, but there are countries like Russia, like China, which are close friends. If we are asked, we can discuss this topic, but we have not yet received any official proposals from the Chinese side," the ambassador told Sputnik, adding that Western media made similar reports on Russia and "speak about everything, but the information is inaccurate."

China possesses only one foreign military base and it is located in Djibouti, a country that has strategic access to the Bab al-Mandab Strait, which connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden.