29 Chinese taken hostage in the Sudan! What will China do?

It's funny, a few years ago when naysayers asked why china would need a blue water navy or carriers, we would answer "to protect foreign interests" as one of the main reasons. It sounds far less cheesy now I'm sure.
The PRC will probably not move militarily to secure the hostages freedom this time around, but these kidnappings -- so close in occurance too! -- should be a wake up call that it will need to guarantee the safety of its people abroad, especially in volatile african countries where so many chinese citizens work. Hopefully these incidents will be a wake up call for the government. Either set up contingency plans/special task force to deal with these kind of thigns in a military fashion (for far future), and/or allocate more funding to blue water navy, and in particular carrier and LHD development alongside something like private security for contractors. Ex PLA or even foreign ex military.

If there's a situation where armed hostage rescue is the only option, I'm sure the PLA's SOF can do it as good as the SEALs, the question is whether they have access to the intelligence (satellites, UAVs), hardware/transport (large helicopters and an offshore presence like carrier or LHD in this case), and situation specific training (that is, gaining experience in a replica compound of a facility where hostages are under guard, for instance).

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China said here Monday that it was informed by Sudan's related department that the body of a Chinese worker, who went missing in a rebel attack in Sudan's South Kordofan, was found.

According to a statement posted on the website of the Chinese Foreign Ministry, the Sudanese side will hand over the body to China as soon as possible, and the Chinese Embassy in Sudan will assist relevant company and the worker's relatives in the follow-up matters.

A group belonging to the Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA)/ northern sector on Jan. 28 attacked a camp of a Chinese company operating at road construction site in South Kordofan State.

The rebels abducted 29 of the total 47 Chinese workers in the camp, while the other 18 workers fled to the neighboring areas. The Sudanese army found the 17 Chinese workers later and transported them to a safe area, but one worker went missing.

Yeah, I read it that there was that one missing Chinese worker. He must've died of dehydration or some kind of elements considering the harsh conditions out in the desert. My condolences to the victim and his family.

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Twenty-nine Chinese nationals abducted by local rebels in Sudan last month arrived on Tuesday afternoon at the Wilson Airport in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi.

The Chinese who were working at a construction site in Sudan had earlier boarded a plane chartered by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) in Sudan shortly after being released by the rebels. They reached the Kenyan airport at around 5:35 p.m. local time after 11 days in captivity.

The freed Chinese, some frail-looking, bearded and in T-shirts, are expected to set off for China after a short stay in Nairobi.

"I feel good," one of them told Xinhua reporters at the airport.

The workers appeared at the airport flanked by Chinese officials including Liu Guangyuan, Chinese Ambassador to Kenya and Qiu Xuejun, the head of the Chinese team in Sudan to assist the rescue operation.

Qiu told Xinhua that the rescue operation was a complete success.

"The 29 people are generally in sound physical condition and in stable moods," he said. "After a brief adjustment in Kenya, they will be arranged to fly home as soon as possible."

Chinese Ambassador Liu signed the papers with Christoph Luedi, head of ICRC's Region Delegation at the airport before the handover.

"This is an excellent cooperation...very close (cooperation)," said Luedi at the airport. "Cooperation between the Chinese embassy here and the Chinese embassy in Sudan and other authorities in Kenya are very smooth."

The official, who went with the chartered planes in the morning to pick the released Chinese workers, said he could see that the workers were quite relieved at the Sudanese airport.

"This morning they were brought to the airport without any information about what happened. When they saw two planes coming in, they realized there is hope and they can go," he said.

"When they saw the Chinese people coming, speaking to them in their language, they were quite happy and they were happy to get some food and drinks on the plane. Of course some of them were really tired. They got some sleep on the plane," he added.

In the Nairobian hotel where the workers were later taken to, Xia Wenlue, 29, one of the two female workers in the incident told Xinhua that she had called her family after the release.

"My husband picked up the phone and I told him I am safe now," the mother of a 10-year-old child said.

"I want to go back home as soon as possible," Xia added.

According to Wen Jiahai, a senior official with the Chinese company said a majority of the released workers have their families in Chengdu, capital city of Sichuan Province in southwest China.

Chinese Foreign Ministry on late Tuesday issued a statement, expressing appreciation and sincere gratitude for the unremitting efforts made in the peaceful and safe rescue work by relevant parties,including Sudan and South Sudan, as well as related parties such as the ICRC, said the statement.

In the statement, China also expressed gratitude for Kenya, the United Nations and other countries, organizations and people who extended support, assistance and concern over the issue. The Chinese were held on Jan. 28, when a group of gunmen belonging to the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) north sector attacked their camp of a Chinese company operating at a road construction site near Sudan's Al-Abbasiya Tagali Town in the volatile South Kordofan State.

A total of 47 Chinese were in the camp then, among whom 29 were abducted by the assailants while the other 18 managed to fled to neighboring areas. Among the latter, 17 were later found by the Sudanese army and transferred to a safe place, and one was confirmed dead after having been missing for days.

The Sudanese authorities on Tuesday handed over the body of the dead Chinese worker to the Chinese side.

The release came after a stream of intensive rescue efforts carried out by the Chinese government in collaboration with the Sudanese government, the ICRC and other parties.

On Jan. 31, a six-member Chinese mission arrived in Khartoum, capital of Sudan, to assist the local Chinese embassy in the rescue operation and to hold consultations with the Sudanese authorities.

China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Monday that the country was using multiple channels and making every possible effort to rescue the captives.

I find it fascinating that there were those laughing that China couldn't carry out a military rescue operation. Which one is the better outcome? If China did stage a military rescue, you know those laughing would be expressing alarm at the implications. Just like the Southeast Asian tsunami, they laughed that China couldn't send military ships for logistical humanitarian support. Since then China has those capabilities and those that were laughing are now alarmed.

AssassinsMace said:

I find it fascinating that there were those laughing that China couldn't carry out a military rescue operation. Which one is the better outcome? If China did stage a military rescue, you know those laughing would be expressing alarm at the implications. Just like the Southeast Asian tsunami, they laughed that China couldn't send military ships for logistical humanitarian support. Since then China has those capabilities and those that were laughing are now alarmed.

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I would like to add that the most sour actually coming from Chinese netizens, millions of them. Well ever since 1999 when the country gives a natioanl day parade to the internet-capable citizens that makes them reallize "Damn, we are not the '小米加步枪 durra + bolt-action-rifle' begger-like red army any more, we are moderm military forces" - since then, the nationism demands "real action" everytime there is anything hit the news outlet.

And if anything (aboard) solved without hollywood movie alike action, it is a sign that "the CPC officials has suck our blood and fooled us again", "those traitors selled our national intrests out"(ie. pay a ranson, or negotiate an agreement with anyone). Specific to SOF operation, most Chinese people get the impression it would be like vedio game, select your troops, click the designation, and the mighty PLA would done the rest.

A nation's strength lays in her people's heart. For that, we still have a long way ahead to be mature and revive to the glory.