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supportive of U.S. presence. 177<br />

Re-Emergent Russia<br />

After <strong>World</strong> War II, the Soviet Union used military<br />

bases as a way to counter the United States’<br />

containment policy. The Soviets tightened control<br />

over its satellite states <strong>and</strong> built military bases on<br />

their territories. Furthermore, they built bases to<br />

station troops in countries close to the u.S. <strong>and</strong><br />

its allies. The success of the Cuban Revolution in<br />

1959 brought a new ally into the Soviet’s sphere of<br />

influence. Soon afterward, the Soviets built a vast<br />

military infrastructure on the isl<strong>and</strong>. elsewhere<br />

in the developing world, the Soviets stationed<br />

military personnel in Angola, Egypt, Finl<strong>and</strong>, Guinea,<br />

Libya, Mongolia, Syria, Tunisia, Yemen, Yugoslavia,<br />

<strong>and</strong> Vietnam. 178 After the break-up of the Soviet<br />

Union, Russian troops withdrew from bases in East<br />

Germany, Czechoslovakia, Pol<strong>and</strong>, Hungary, <strong>and</strong> the<br />

Baltic states. By 1994, the Russian Federation had<br />

only 28 foreign bases in the former territory of the<br />

Soviet Union. By 2002, Russia had closed its military<br />

installations in Cuba <strong>and</strong> Vietnam. Domestic factors,<br />

budgetary constraints, <strong>and</strong> external politico-military<br />

reasons were behind this shift. 179<br />

Rising China<br />

In 2010, the Chinese government announced<br />

intentions of establishing military bases beyond its<br />

own borders, including in neighboring Pakistan. This<br />

was a significant move due to the implications for<br />

the balance of power within the region. A base in<br />

Pakistan would allow China to further counter India’s<br />

rising influence. At the same time, it could increase<br />

ties with Pakistan by offering military protection in<br />

the form of military bases. 180 Furthermore, the base<br />

would give the Chinese military another springboard<br />

from which it could quell separatist unrest in the<br />

Uighur-populated Xinjiang region. 181<br />

Until this century, China has no military bases<br />

outside its territory <strong>and</strong> has often criticized the United<br />

States for operating overseas bases. However, since<br />

the early 21st century, China has started building a<br />

number of commercial harbors, naval stations, <strong>and</strong><br />

listening posts that link the Sanya naval dockyard on<br />

Hainan Isl<strong>and</strong> to the Middle East. Beijing describes<br />

these facilities as the “String of Pearls” that dovetail<br />

Chinese energy supply routes to the Middle east <strong>and</strong><br />

east Africa. 182<br />

Europe<br />

From the mid-fifteenth to the mid-twentieth<br />

centuries, European nations have operated overseas<br />

military installations <strong>and</strong> trading posts. 183 Portugal<br />

<strong>and</strong> Spain were the first nations to do so. They<br />

built harbors <strong>and</strong> forts around the littorals of South<br />

America <strong>and</strong> West Africa during the 15th <strong>and</strong> 16th centuries to protect the burgeoning colonies of<br />

the time. The Netherl<strong>and</strong>s followed suit in the 17th centuries <strong>and</strong> erect military structures along its trade<br />

routes leading to Southeast Asia. From the 18th to the<br />

mid-20th century, France <strong>and</strong> the U.K. built military<br />

installations that linked their homel<strong>and</strong>s to the rest<br />

of their empires. 184 Currently, France <strong>and</strong> the United<br />

Kingdom still maintain a large number of overseas<br />

military installations in geopolitically sensitive<br />

regions such as the Middle east <strong>and</strong> northern Africa.<br />

Taken together, the number of European military<br />

installations is second only that of the u.S. 185<br />

The size <strong>and</strong> scope of these military installations vary<br />

greatly. in some locations, military facilities comprise<br />

of a few small buildings that are used as storage<br />

depots. At the other end of the spectrum, facilities<br />

could include barracks for hundreds of troops, large<br />

naval stations, or full-scale aerodromes. 186<br />

Past uN Actions<br />

Past United Nations Actions on the subject<br />

of foreign military bases has been limited. In 19<br />

December 1967, the 22nd Session of the uN General<br />

Assembly passed resolution 2344 regarding the<br />

elimination of foreign military bases in the countries<br />

37<br />

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