Military Bases and Commercial Ports Reveal Strategies to Extend Global Reach | WSJ U.S. vs. China 

I was interviewed for this and find it quite misleading in making the overseas presence of the US and China look comparable when they are profoundly quantitatively and qualitatively different. To compare the two is like comparing apples and oranges or, more accurately, watermelons and grapes. There is a profound difference in military capabilities between a network of around 750 US military bases abroad and Chinese port access overseas. The former also costs the US around $80 billion a year, while the Chinese government surely makes money from its port infrastructure overseas. The video fails to note scores of additional locations where the US military has its own port access agreements, not to mention airfield landing rights and resupply materials (neither are part of my bases count). The video also uncritically presents longstanding Pentagon fearmongering about China's search for a second--to now, nonexistent--base in Africa without noting extensive ongoing US base construction near China's borders in East Asia and, more recently, in Europe. The video concludes with the Pentagon's professed concerns about the "lack of transparency" in China's negotiations with port host nations. This is ironic given that US base agreements (and negotiations) with host nations are almost universally kept secret when these de facto treaties should be publicly available.

I’m surprised the WSJ didn’t list all Chinese restaurants as military bases as well.

Soon they will declare all Chinese restaurants as Intelligence hub.

Are they comparing an Chinese-owned port to an USA-owned military base? Yep. I seen it right

Port terminals and military bases are totally different things.

0:27 You are unashamedly comparing US MILITARY bases with Chinese COMMERCIAL ports. Unbiased press indeed.

Here's the truth. 🇨🇳 foreign military bases and facilities: 1 🇺🇲 Foreigner military bases and facilities : 800+

America: We have more then 500 bases in other countries. China: We have one base in another country America: The world is doomed china is going for world domination!

Can’t compare military bases and shares in a container port terminal 😂

US: +750 military bases abroad. China: 3 military bases abroad. Different strategies...yes...yeah

Why are we comparing military bases to ports??

Umm you know you're wrong when you show China having military base in US when America won't allow it.

Realistically, China does not have the ability to project power globally. At best, you’d be looking at another generation or twenty years of global infrastructure and ship development for them to get there. Just having a network of friendly ports is not sufficient to maintain and operate a modern navy effectively.

The port of sand Diego LA and Long Beach along with Seattle are not in anyway owned by chinese companies. That use to be the case but not anymore. That first map is extremely misleading 😅

WSJ, you missed counting thousands of Chinese military bases in big cities around the world. They are typically called Chinatown 😅

Compare military bases with shared commercial ports makes me laugh.

I am having fun watching America's propaganda news. Good job Wall Street Journal.

Chinese ports are not military bases, it only use for repair and resupply, meanwhile military base are capable to launch military operation in the region, more than "rearm, repair, and resupply" only.

I thought this video would compare and contrast how a US base is structured vs how a Chinese base is structured

I laughed when saw that the pentagon said they have about 500 bases when in reality it is about 800.

Love the Animation

Djibouti loves hosts a lot of outside countries military bases. They rake in a fair amount of government funding from that.

This presentation paints a lot of perspectives about Uncle Sam. And then there's China...well. Pretty interesting.

0:21 No base in Afghanistan anymore 🌚

This is so misleading. China's ports allow goods and services throughout the world as they are mostly the factory of the world. They invested in infrastructure for trade and economic progress. They provide economic benefits for both sides and just because they house some military vessels does not make it a comparison to the 750 military bases around the world that US funds and have secret agreements with the countries that host these military bases for US. China on the other hand is building infrastructure, providing goods & services, and unbeatable economic finance.

Chinese bases in US Coast. That's definitely news to me. Well done WSJ.

US does something for decades: ... China does the same US: *Surprised Pikachu face*

750 cries of 3. China oversea base is to protect their trading route, not to show power like the US.

No USA bases in Ireland. Shannon airport is used for a stop over for unarmed American soldiers but does not have a military presence apart from the Irish defence forces.

You are comparing commercial ports with literal hundreds of military bases, how in the world is that comparable?

Lots of people don't seem to understand that global trade needs naval protection, or ships would be raided constantly. Only the usn could have done this. And a navy needs bases.

Perhaps a more comprehensive comparison is warranted, including capabilities to wage war using economic and trade reach, manufacturing and supply chains (especially for critical commodities, goods and services), Cyber, Espionage network.

different bases with different strategies for different news channels. wsj can choose any base

Nice

Actually, the US also has a "military base" in Beijing(inside the ambassy), which makes the US the only country has this privilege in China.

Is Issac okay? my dude looks like his about to get heat exhaustion from making sure China looks the worst.

This report completely forget to mention the Chinese military bases on Firely Cross Reef, Subi Reef, and Mischief Reef.

China has one overseas base, and the US has 700+ overseas bases. And the US still feel threatened, shouldn't the Chinese feel more threatened?

Cold tip:USA also has military base in DJIBOUTI

Calling China one of the two superpowers, I think, is overstated although part of me enjoyed it.

does this video place dots of chinese military interests in the USA?

Did you just ask that guy what a military base is?

We have one sheriff. We don't need another one

When do organizations start questioning the need for so many bases?

I tell my girlfriend I want to be in *Djibouti* to protect her security and economic interests too, doesn't work out so well..

I wonder how long US bases can continue in its present form as the $ loses its value.

Uh, why worry about commercial port?

GOOD INFO no boring

7:10 There is a big distinctive difference between commercial ports and military bases. The map is very misleading.

That’s the first time I’ve seen the Pangaea US base in Australia on a map

Bruh the comparison is silly 😂

At last time came for us media to regulate a report on us vs china

You shouldn’t compare the US to China militarily. Anybody that has lived in China knows that it is not a warmongering country unlike the USA 🇺🇸

The claim of commercial ports can serve as bases are incorrect. Commercial port access needs hosting country’s permission while leased base doesn’t. See the difference?

WSJ we truly respect your dedication to high quality journalism but it’s moments like this that has your audience THAT EXPECTS COGENT/SOUND ANALYSIS of major topics end up feeling disappointed, please, you guys are one of the last bastions of balanced news & journalism that has integrity & prestige DON’T NORMALIZE THIS SORT OF LAZY JOURNALISM

This video is amusing for sure.

military bases vs ports for trade...cmon, ist it obvious whos the big bully?

Dear WSJ you're missing listing Chinatown around the world's as Military Base too.

So what you're saying is Oscar from The Office and the town of South Park were infinitely wrong as were other Americans defending China when Michael Scott and Eric Cartman took a stand against them?

0:55 OH REALLY? WHO WOULD HAVE GUESSED?

Comparing military ports with commercial ports? Genius

the thing which people are not getting is that china has been deploying military vessels and and aircrafts consistently in its commercial ports. For example in 2022, during the sri lankan crisis, china posted aircraft carriers and space tracking spy radar ships to prevent and/or collect data on indian nuclear icbm missile test in its state owned sri lankan port of hambantota. It has almost permanantly stationed destroyers in qatar and gwadar(baluchistan) to successfully restrict any kind of indian naval exersises and free merchant ship movements in the arabian sea

sounds like the us needs to spend more on its military, not enough bases

“China “ - in voice of Trump 😂

all our allies have more port terminals than China and military out post and port terminals are not same

China is not in Mexico😂😂😂

6:17 Is that an LCVP?

Shameless media.

I don't want any of two powers set up military base in my country..

how do you argue one overseas base is a threat to hundreds of oversea bases? watch this video

love china 🇧🇩❤🇨🇳

Johnny Harris made an amazing video on US military bases

US have more than 800 bases over seas according to pentagon. Maybe more classified bases

US bases vs China towns

A protection orda repeats itself.i'd have rites to suspenshon off securities,! No I'd have rites to take an leave ,in that case all properties off the rite off the rite it is correct to take down

Why is there a dot of Chinese base in Taiwan?

Wait till yall find out that most of the Host Nations don't want Americans to leave.

We have a global overseas presence with multiple ally countries? How is this the same strategy if chinese bases remain in CHINA.

Stop beating war drum . World Peace! The Chinese Jdibudi base was built under UN mandate.

one would think that China has bases in the us good journalism WSJ ;-)

Figured what Shango is in an involved few people are involved there people's lives are

Send in the bombers. Rule number one.

This video was flawed from the beginning: Comparing military bases to civilian ports almost nullifies this video. The ports have to be deep water ports to allow full naval assets to access the area. Chinas navy barely has the ability to navigate the world without facing issues, compare this to the US which has at a minimum 5 carrier strike group always navigating the world.

China could probably print a FOB in a day, or build a port in a week. On top of that, they could send 100k soldiers and still have half a billion in some change. They really can if they wanted/needed to. They do have bases or at least FOBs in South China Sea, but this hit piece journalism is way off the mark.

Relly conflating thousands of weaponized bases with bunch of “little americas” to a 90 acres base

The world map used in this video shows Chinese-owned port facilities in the US and Australia. Some are near LA and San Diego. This story falsely gives the viewer the idea that China can just dock a warship there and resullpy it at will then. Do you think the US military would allow that? The journalist doing this story needs to better clarify what Chinese facilities could actually be used at will by the Chinese.

biased media

Nothing about the South China Sea dredged bases?

If you compare the number of Chinese Restaurants in US vs US military bases outside of US. Then you get a close contest.

I’m going back in a minute I

But China brings its own civilian work force with it overseas.

Shout out to the BX!!!

No mention of Obama's "pivot to Asia"?

The fact that US let the red dots happen on our land is just sad.

Funny enough, not even the U.S. government know how many bases they actually have.

overseas military bases too costly. The cost for the overseas bases is better for developing weapons capable hit directly Washington DC. Because today's large countries wars can hit each other once only.

I don't think the US needs so many bases outside its overseas territories. It costs a huge amount of money and this is one reason why Russians and Chinese can invent new technology like hypersonic glide vehicles with a smaller budget. Of course we can't just throw our allies under the bus and just suddenly abandon them. I'm not saying that. I'm saying we should give them a time line. Let's say 15 years for them to strengthen all of their militaries and at the end of that time we hand the bases back to them and bring the troops home. We maintain alliances and if they need our help in a future war, we can still use one of their bases or one in a nearby country to fly our troops to. We could save so much money.

"Only we're allowed to station forces in foreign lands and expand our geopolitical presence."

US when they think a Chinese warship can receive a package of rice at some harbour: this is a security risk abandon abortion and healthcare immediately so we can pump 100 billion more in the military 😂

TF you mean there's chinese bases in the U.S ?🤯