China has plans to become a major power in the Middle East – said former head of Mossad

China has plans to become a major power in the Middle East – said former head of Mossad

JERUSALEM, Israel (BulgarianMilitary.com) – China is deepening its penetration into Africa and Israel. Israeli security experts say that while the Chinese presence may look innocent it should turn on “some red lights”, learned BulgarianMilitary.com.

China opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti in 2017. Now, after a year of operation, it is very clear according to Israeli experts what is the main function of this base.

Efraim Halevy is a security expert and 9th former head of the Israeli Mossad | Photo credit: Wikipedia

“The base is part of a Chinese master plan to penetrate deeper into that region of the world” said Yaakov Peri – former head of the Israeli Security Agency (Shabak). He added that China looks at this region as one that is critical to its ambitions.

Some European countries have military bases or troops based in Djibouti. The Italians operate a base there, while German and Spanish troops are accommodated by the French.

The Europeans are beginning to understand that the Chines is around them and that they have more ambitions.

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Efraim Halevy, former head of the Israeli Mossad, told BulgarianMilitary.com that the Chinese commercial and economic activity in the Middle east including Israel, has a security angle “China has plans to become a major power in the Middle East “

He added that China not only buys Iranian oil but is very active in developing the Iranian oil industry.

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He added that China has a military base in Djibouti on the Eastern coast of Africa “China is very active in this region and that worries Washington. All this is a big reason for caution when letting China put its foot in some major Israeli infrastructure and commercial activities”

China is also penetrating Israel, by investments and the performance of major infrastructure programs.

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This also is a reason for concern. In recent weeks some experts pointed to the fact that China is building a new port In Haifa, in very close proximity to the Israeli navy’s base. One of these experts said that the proximity and the Chinese presence makes him “very uncomfortable“.

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