China Looks at Walvis Bay Naval Base, Namibian Reports

China has proposed building a base for its Navy in the Namibian port of Walvis Bay and a delegation will visit the African country to discuss the project, the Namibian newspaper reported, citing a letter from Namibia’s ambassador to China to the country’s foreign ministry.

The Dec. 22 letter from Ambassador Ringo Abed to Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, the permanent secretary in Namibia’s foreign affairs ministry, said Abed had met Geng Yansheng, China’s defense ministry spokesman, the newspaper said. Yansheng in November denied media reports that China was planning a number of naval bases in Asia and Africa and on Tuesday the defense ministry said in a faxed reply to queries that the report was groundless.