According to the US officials, reports of the classified American intelligence suggest that China intends to establish its first permanent military presence on the Atlantic Ocean in the tiny Central African country of Equatorial Guinea. However, the officials declined to describe details of the secret intelligence findings.

US officials said that as per the classified documents, Chinese warships would be able to rearm and refit opposite the East Coast of the U.S. which is alarming to the White House and Pentagon.

General Stephen Townsend, who serves as commander of U.S. Africa Command, told the Senate in April that China's "most significant threat" would be "a militarily useful naval facility on the Atlantic coast of Africa."

"By militarily useful I mean something more than a place that they can make port calls and get gas and groceries. I'm talking about a port where they can rearm with munitions and repair naval vessels," Townsend added.

In an interview with AP, Townsend said, “Their first overseas military base, their only one, is in Africa, and they have just expanded that by adding a significant pier that can support even their aircraft carriers in the future.”

He then cautioned, “around the continent they [Chinese] are looking for other basing opportunities.”

"They're looking for a place where they can rearm and repair warships. That becomes militarily useful in conflict," Townsend explained in the AP interview.  He said, "They're a long way toward establishing that in Djibouti. Now they're casting their gaze to the Atlantic coast and wanting to get such a base there.”

In reality, China may only be expanding its military build up on a much larger scale, as per Townsend's posture statement to the US House Armed Services Committee.

"Port projects, economic endeavours, infrastructure, and their agreements and contracts will lead to greater access in the future. They are hedging their bets and making big bets on Africa,” he further warned in the interview.

Jon Finer, President Biden's principal deputy national security adviser, travelled to Equatorial Guinea in October in an effort to convince President Teodoro Obiang Nguema Mbasogo and his son Vice President Teodoro "Teodorin" Nguema Obiang Mangue to reject China's proposal, the newspaper reported.

"As part of our diplomacy to address maritime-security issues, we have made clear to Equatorial Guinea that certain potential steps involving [Chinese] activity there would raise national-security concerns," a senior Biden administration official said, per the Wall Street Journal.

Obiang is the longest-serving president in the world, having ruled for more than 40 years.

China has approached several African nations stretching across Mauritania to the south of Namibia, with the intent of establishing naval facilities to base warships in both the Atlantic and Pacific.

It set up the first military base less than 10 miles from Camp Lemonnier, the largest US defence base in Africa, and until now, was the only strategically located overseas military facility that hosted aircraft carriers.

US, French, and Japanese military forces have scrambled to bolster their presence to guard the strategic route for global oil, petroleum, and natural gas shipment after China's establishment of a naval base in the East African nation of Djibouti in 2017, which the US believes is intended to grow military footprint.

In recent months, tensions between China and the U.S. have risen amid human rights issues, the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns about Taiwan.

Just last week, Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned of "terrible consequences" if China were to invade Taiwan and take the island by force.

"But here again, I hope that China's leaders think very carefully about this and about not precipitating a crisis that would have, I think, terrible consequences for lots of people, and one that's in no one's interest, starting with China," Blinken said Friday.

Image Credit: AP/ Maxar Tech