Outpost in Djibouti 'to help fleets'

Work to start soon on facility in the Horn of Africa to aid peacekeeping

China's first overseas naval logistics support outpost - expected to be built in Djibouti - is needed to handle difficulties encountered by Chinese peacekeeping fleets, the Foreign Ministry told China Daily on Thursday.

The ministry's remarks came after senior Djibouti officials and Chinese experts said some media reports about the outpost had been unnecessarily hostile.