The Chinese military has announced live-fire drills conducted at its base in Djibouti, with tank destroyers and infantry vehicles taking part in the maneuvers and firing dozens of shells.
According to China Daily citing the commander of the base, Liang Yang, the exercises are aimed at verifying "the combat capability of troops and their weapons and to improve their adaptability in the local environment."
The military drills took place in the wake of Djibouti President Ismail Omar Guelleh's visit to Beijing, during which he met Prime Minister Li Keqiang who called the nation a major Chinese partner in east Africa.
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China opened its first overseas military base on August 1, 2017, in Djibouti on the Horn of Africa after the country's Defense Ministry officially announced the establishment of a naval logistics center and sent its military personnel there.
Djibouti, which is located on the Horn of Africa and borders Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, is plagued by piracy, while Beijing has been actively participating in anti-piracy measures in the region.
