China aims to establish military presence in central Africa, first to Atlantic Ocean

China intends to establish a military presence in the central African country of Equatorial Guinea, which if finalized would become the Communist Party-led country's first such position on the Atlantic Ocean, according to a news report Monday.

The plan is being reported by The Wall Street Journal based on information from U.S. officials who say they have reviewed related, classified intelligence reports. 

The officials told the newspaper the reports raise the prospect that Chinese warships would be able to rearm and refit opposite the East Coast of the United States, raising concerns within the Biden administration.

Jon Finer, the United States' principal deputy national security adviser, visited Equatorial Guinea in October on a mission to persuade President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and his son and heir apparent, Vice President Teodoro Nguema Obiang Mangue, to reject China's efforts, The Journal also reports. 

The development is the latest in what appears to be a growing diplomatic standoff between China and the United States that includes whether the U.S. will send a diplomatic corps to the Winter Olympic Games in Beijing, the exact origin of the coronavirus pandemic that started in China and human rights violations, while China accuses the U.S. of meddling in its affairs.