China says Pakistan military base talk pure speculation

BEIJING: China said on Thursday that talk the country was building a military base in Pakistan was pure speculation, after a Pentagon report earlier this month singled out Pakistan as a possible location for a future Chinese military base.

The Pentagon forecast that Beijing would likely build more bases overseas after establishing a facility in the African nation of Djibouti.

Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian was asked at a regular monthly news briefing if China would build a naval base in the Chinese-invested Pakistani port city of Gwadar.

"Talk that China is building a military base in Pakistan is pure guesswork," Wu said, without elaborating.

Djibouti´s position on the northwestern edge of the Indian Ocean has fuelled worries in India that it would become another of China´s "string of pearls" of military alliances and assets ringing India, including Pakistan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka.

China has repeatedly downplayed expectations it could be about to embark on a plan to build military bases around the world, even as it ramps up an impressive military modernisation programme.