On February 27, China’s Defence Minister Chang Wanquan visited Djibouti where his counterpart Hassan Darar Houffaneh appealed for military cooperation between the two countries.
Houffaneh also thanked China for continuously supporting Djibouti, since 1979. “It’s particularly true that in the sub-region, and especially in Djibouti, most infrastructure projects are being funded by China,” he said, adding that the projects will reinforce regional integration. The Chinese defence minister replied: “The People’s Republic of China is ready to support Djibouti to reinforce its military capacities and guarantee its security”.
China especially wants to strengthen the capacities of the Djiboutian Navy which does not have offshore patrol vessels; strengthen the capacity of the Air Force, which will soon acquire Chinese aircraft; provide assistance in the field of surveillance with the supply of radars; and support training by granting more seats in military training schools in China, especially in the aerospace, marine, defence, logistics and engineering fields.
China and Djibouti have cooperated in the areas of culture, education and health. Since 1986, China has provided scholarships to students from Djibouti. At present six Djiboutian students are studying in China. Since 1980, China has sent medical teams to Djibouti, with a Chinese medical team consisting of 10 personnel presently working in Djibouti.
