China has tried to sell the world on the idea that it is a peaceful superpower with only benign intentions, helping developing countries build up their infrastructure with China financing, while at the same time sharing the industriousness and technical expertise of the Chinese people. But when China starts building military bases in other countries it gets hard to keep up that image. China has one military base in Africa already, and according to US intelligence, is trying to build another one on the other side of the continent.