The US is working on a military and economic aid package for Gabon as part of a deal to keep the Chinese military out of the African nation, Bloomberg reported on Friday.
Sources told Bloomberg that the agreement would include training Gabon’s special forces and $5 million in funding for the country’s democratic transition. The report didn’t say how much the US is willing to spend on the military assistance.
The US suspended some aid to Gabon last year following a coup that ousted Ali Bongo, the country’s president since 2009. Before that, his father, Omar Bongo, had ruled since 1967.
The new US aid package for Gabon hasn’t been finalized and is expected to be unveiled when Brice Oligui Nguema, a military officer acting as Gabon’s “transitional president,” will visit Washington either at the end of September or early October.
US military officials have been warning for years that China is seeking to establish a military base on Africa’s Atlantic coast. China has a naval base in Djibouti on the east coast of Africa, which marked its first foreign military base.
The US has about 750 military bases worldwide, including many near China, but sources told Bloomberg that a Chinese base on the Atlantic Ocean is a red line for the US even if it’s as far away from the continental United States as Gabon, which lies on the equator.
US officials claim that China has been attempting to establish a military training facility in Gabon, which they fear could lead to a permanent base. China has other ways of spreading its influence on the African continent, mainly by helping fund infrastructure projects, and the US has also been attempting to push back against those efforts.
So… the US builds bases near China but won’t tolerate China building near the US.
Something tells me the situation will be flipped in 20 years.
The economy would prevail over military in a few years less than a decade…! and that's where China is going…!
Russia needs to build a base in Cuba, Venezuela.
China has discovered water on the moon and wants to go there with Russia. Vile American capitalists who tun the US military dictatorship attempt to divert more peaceful countries like China, Russia and Iran away from peaceful cooperative development and toward the last US profit center, which is the ugly business of war.
US citizens are under the control of the President's cabinet and it has no imagination beyond war and genocide yielding profit fot very few.
China, Russia, Iran and many other countries are grossed out by ugly Americans. US military aid to china helps no one but US arms dealers.
Maybe that's why…
That's why the US is going after nations (save for India, so far, and Japan) that are edging closer to Moon landings, habitation, and exploration.
They'd rather others not figure out what's there.
Hah, seriously, no – the Major Powers already know who & what is on the Moon; and the answer to why the Moon is so unusual…
It's a good place to build huge telescopes and a stellsr spsce ship built orbiting Luna.
Lunar farside for radio astronomy WIN !
Well, why not? All the problems in the US are solved so why not make it rain money in another place?
I’m really sick of the cover “US officials”. When will the press come clean about the true, unelected leaders of the country?
We place, one foot in front of the other, to get us anywhere yet, on the current war footing, we are losing our sense of balance…
"The new US aid package for Gabon… when Brice Oligui Nguema, a military officer acting as Gabon’s 'transitional president,' will visit Washington…" LOL. They don't even bother to pretend they give a $hit about "Freedom and Democracy!"
China has other ways of spreading its influence on the African continent, mainly by helping fund infrastructure projects, and the US has also been attempting to push back against those efforts.
As the US does in its own country. Even that measly 5 million that is going to Gabon could fill a lot of potholes right here in Michigan.
We have more in my state.
Irony that legalised pot sales in many US states hasn't funded pothole repairs.
China can offer more without bullying…!
So, a small bribe to the right people to keep out the Chinese? Well, if we can't compete on building things, we can surely compete on printing money. The question is, how long will spreading the $$$ keep working?
Not too long…! The Bubble keeps getting larger and larger…!
The DPRC wants to set up shop in Africa and improve their economies? Have at. Odd that one of five remaining Communist countries "gets" free-market capitalism better'n the US does.
And it's not the beatnik '60s any more, America. You don't need to secure access to Bongo-brand drums any more by propping up their family dynasty.
For those who haven’t seen it, this film is worth watching, it covers a wide range of history.
Rest in Power, Mr. Pilger:
The Coming War On China (2016)
https://johnpilger.com/the-coming-war-on-china/