China hinted on Tuesday that it was planning more global bases following the setting up of its logistics center in Djibouti, what the Horn of African country's government calls a military facility that will be China's first overseas.

China plans to use it to support is anti-piracy operations in the waters off the strife-torn nations of Somalia and Yemen. Beijing has been keen not to call it a military base, but state media increasingly uses this language to refer to it.

China's Defense Ministry said last month building had begun on the base, something China describes as naval "support facilities" in Djibouti, which has fewer than a million people but is striving to become an international shipping hub.