China resumes construction of military base in UAE, defying US objections

China has resumed construction work on a military base in the United Arab Emirates in defiance of displeasure by the United States, leaked intelligence documents have revealed.

According to the Washington Post, leaked US intelligence documents that it obtained reportedly show that Chinese plans to continue construction in its military base in the UAE have gone ahead.

The suspected Chinese military facility at Khalifa port near Abu Dhabi is part of plans to create a global network of military facilities at ports across the Middle East, south-east Asia, and Africa by 2030, labelled ‘project 141.’

The reported continuation of the build-up of that base comes after the works there were forced to halt in 2021 due to US objections. According to the outlet, however, US intelligence detected the resumed construction in December, a mere year after it was apparently halted.

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US intelligence continues to monitor Chinese activity at the base and at other locations in the UAE, the documents reportedly show, amid concerns that the Gulf state is drawing ever closer to China.

The revelation is predicted to likely further alarm the US government, with the paper highlighting that the presence of Chinese officials at several sensitive military sites has particularly raised concern amongst US intelligence, especially at a time when Washington’s allies across the Middle East and Gulf continue to strengthen ties with Beijing.

In that regional shift, the UAE, as well as others such as Saudi Arabia, have increasingly been acting in contradiction to American foreign policy interests, even to the point of directly snubbing US concerns with regards to issues such as ties with China and Russia, the refusal to support Ukraine, and the insistence on imposing cuts on oil production.