The report, published by The Guardian, says that Hambantota in Sri Lanka, Bata in Equatorial Guinea and Gwadar in Pakistan could become home to a naval base within two to five years.

The sites are considered likely on the basis of a country’s closeness to China, as well as the amount of money China has invested in the country.

China currently has only one overseas naval base located in Djibouti, Africa. However, analysts say it is trying to catch up to the naval strength of the United States as it emerges as a new global superpower.

The need for bases is also felt because China is not part of any international defence alliances.

The aim of the bases is to ‘preserve’ shipping routes and gather intelligence, according to the reports.

However, the most likely place for a naval base seems to be Sri Lanka, a country with a struggling economy often said to be a subject of ’debt trap diplomacy by China.

US satellite imagery has also shown a structure resembling a naval base in Cambodia.