China opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti last year. Now, after a year of operation, many details have surfaced to provide a better idea of Beijing's reason for the base, and its wider global calculations predicated on the facility.

Beijing has always couched the rationale for the base in benign terms. This narrative, however, disguises its broader and larger ambitions. It also hides the increasingly sophisticated approach that China has adopted to pursue its goals. Djibouti is a critical step in the global ambitions of China's military.