The U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies said China has outfitted its military base in Djibouti with new communications equipment that could increase the country’s ability to collect intelligence and monitor military activities across the Middle East.

According to the center, the intensification of operations by the United States and Israel against the Islamic Republic, alongside the deployment of significant U.S. forces in the region, has sharply increased the intelligence value of China’s base in Djibouti.

The center added that the new equipment could help China monitor the military forces of nearby countries and maintain communications with Chinese ships and aircraft operating in the region.

The Djibouti base, which opened in 2017, is the only Chinese overseas military base that Beijing has officially confirmed. The base is located along the Gulf of Aden and near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.