Joe Biden briefed on Chinese effort to put military base in Oman
- Chinese and Omani officials discussed the matter last month, the US president was told, amid efforts by Beijing to deepen ties in the Middle East
- Oman is sometimes referred to as the Switzerland of the Middle East, given that it follows a policy of neutrality and regularly acts as a mediator
US President Joe Biden has been briefed on what his advisers see as a Chinese plan to build a military facility in Oman, people familiar with the matter said, amid a broader effort by Beijing to deepen defence and diplomatic ties with the Middle East.
Biden was told that Chinese military officials discussed the matter last month with Omani counterparts, who were said to be amenable to such a deal, said the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations.
They said the two sides agreed to more talks in the coming weeks.
China’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment and the White House did not respond to multiple requests for comment. Oman’s embassy in the US also did not respond to a request for comment.
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First PLA live ammunition drill in Djibouti
But the Pentagon has been saying for years that China wants to build more overseas military logistics facilities in the region including the United Arab Emirates and other nations in Asia, including Thailand, Indonesia and Pakistan.
