Lemonnier is a strategic asset for US missions abroad, used as a staging area for America's intelligence and counterterrorism operations on the African continent and beyond. The night before the Cutlass Express, Chinese military officials invited Adm. Berg and her contingent on board a Chinese destroyer docked at the nearby harbor. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said in 2017 that the Djibouti base was part of ongoing efforts to help bring peace and security to the region. "The completion and operation of the base will help China better fulfill its international obligations in conducting escorting missions and humanitarian assistance ... She said the Chinese base has riled the US because of a growing rhetoric of "fear."

Source: CNN May 27, 2019 00:37 UTC