US intelligence assessed Chinese military was hosted at base in UAE

US intelligence officials have assessed that Chinese military personnel were deployed on a United Arab Emirates military base around 2020. The assessment regarding the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) at Zayed Military City in Abu Dhabi was made after the UAE denied US officials access to a part of the base. American officials were concerned the PLA could use the location to gather intelligence on US forces stationed at the nearby Al Dhafra Air Base. This issue is part of a broader strain in US-UAE relations, as Washington has repeatedly lobbied the Gulf state against deepening its military ties with China.