[1] The facility is expected to significantly increase China's power projection in the Horn of Africa and the Indian Ocean, as well as the PLAN's blue water capabilities.

[7] Djibouti is strategically situated by the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, which separates the Gulf of Aden from the Red Sea and guards the approaches to the Suez Canal.

[13][14][15] On July 11, 2017, the People's Liberation Army Navy dispatched ships from the South Sea Fleet in Zhanjiang to open the base officially.

[20] Around May 2018, China began constructing a large-scale pier (over 330 meters in length or 1,120 feet) at the base, and appeared to be fully completed after 18 months from a satellite photo taken in December 2019.

[23] China has stated that the facility will serve primarily to support military logistics for Chinese troops in the Gulf of Aden, and also other activities that are a net positive for maritime public goods, including peacekeeping, humanitarian and disaster relief operations in Africa.

[7][35] In 2018, the United States Department of Defense issued a NOTAM reporting instances of laser attacks against pilots flying near the base, injuring two airmen.

[28] A 2024 report by the Center for Strategic International Studies identifies Djibouti, along with three other sites in Cuba, as most likely to be supporting China's efforts to collect intelligence on the United States and its neighbors.

[38] According to Thierry Pairault of the French National Centre for Scientific Research, Chinese investment has limited yet positive growing impact for Djiboutians despite the mainly outward-looking of the effort.