A fleet of Chinese ships has set sail on a mission to to set up Beijing's first overseas military base in the port of Djibouti, in the Horn of Africa.

The port's position on the Northwestern wedge of the Indian Ocean, is particularly concerning to India.

It says it is worried the port could become another one of China's so-called "String of Pearls" of military alliances, part of a theory that China is building up strategic sea lanes along the Middle East to project its power overseas.

Beijing officially describing the base as a logistics facility.

According to Chinese State media, the base will be used for peace keeping missions and humanitarian aid in the area, but also may be used for military tasks abroad and securing strategic seaways.

No word yet on when it might formally begin operations.

But it won't be the only foreign boots on the ground.

Djibouti, which is sandwiched between Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia, also hosts US, Japanese and French military compounds.