China's Navy "new" Hospital ship

Re: new PLAN Hospital ship

AssassinsMace said:

Of course they can be used for war purposes. Does any navy that has hospital ships have them for another purpose. Might as well spend time wondering why athiest China bothers to put a red cross on the ship. But in a war with Taiwan...? Why would China need a hospital ship for an island off the coast and don't forget it will be a prime target for the Taiwanese. What makes a ship at sea more protected than a hospital on land? Taiwan will try to destroy it at every chance in a war. So that can't be the reason why a hospital ship is being built.

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Attacking a hospital ship marked with a Red Cross is considered a war crime under international law. In such an event, at the end of the war, there will be calls for the Taiwanese who were involved in the attacking of a hospital ship to be charged and tried by the international community. The international fallout from such an attack is too great.

Re: new PLAN Hospital ship

These hospital ships represent another brilliant aspect of the Chinese soft power strategy.

This ship in particular is very interesting, smaller but more flexible. The 970 would be better suited for long range, independent humanitarian deployments to places like Africa or South America where it can stop in a major port to wave the flag, while this ship appears ideal for disaster relief able to use its flexibility with reach into disaster zones.

Re: new PLAN Hospital ship

Pointblank said:

Attacking a hospital ship marked with a Red Cross is considered a war crime under international law. In such an event, at the end of the war, there will be calls for the Taiwanese who were involved in the attacking of a hospital ship to be charged and tried by the international community. The international fallout from such an attack is too great.

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Of course this point is viable in most cases, but if it was a country on the verge of destruction or on the route to losing the battle, what make you think that they will not try something drastic, and attack any targets that they can get their hands on?

Also what does international law means to that knew that they are going to be destroy soon. They will bring as many people with them as possible and hospital ship is deemed quite easily hit and destroy.

Just my opinion though.

Re: new PLAN Hospital ship

rhino123 said:

Of course this point is viable in most cases, but if it was a country on the verge of destruction or on the route to losing the battle, what make you think that they will not try something drastic, and attack any targets that they can get their hands on?

Also what does international law means to that knew that they are going to be destroy soon. They will bring as many people with them as possible and hospital ship is deemed quite easily hit and destroy.

Just my opinion though.

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The people responsible will eventually get caught, or they will be hunted down all over the world. The same people who gave orders to commit the Holocaust were eventually tried and hanged by the international community after the war. If they can't go after those who gave orders to commit the act, they will go after those who actually committed the act. The precedent set at the Nuremberg Trials states that the excuse of 'just following orders' is not an excuse for committing war crimes.

Re: new PLAN Hospital ship

But in a war with Taiwan...? Why would China need a hospital ship for an island off the coast and don't forget it will be a prime target for the Taiwanese. What makes a ship at sea more protected than a hospital on land? Taiwan will try to destroy it at every chance in a war. So that can't be the reason why a hospital ship is being built.

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A hospital erected on Taiwan proper after a successful amphibious landing will not likely be as comprehensive as what can be gotten on board a ship. And casualties will be sustained during the assault proper. If you are thinking, why not bring them back to China? Look at the distances involved. The rate of casualty transfer and time taken to transfer the casualty should be quite clear.

Re: new PLAN Hospital ship

well, don't know if I posted, but they have another one of the same class under construction, here are the pictures. They also converted one of the older ships to a medical ship recently.

Re: new PLAN Hospital ship

Pointblank said:

Attacking a hospital ship marked with a Red Cross is considered a war crime under international law. In such an event, at the end of the war, there will be calls for the Taiwanese who were involved in the attacking of a hospital ship to be charged and tried by the international community. The international fallout from such an attack is too great.

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I've heard of that but this case would be unusual since no one has held the flag of the Red Cross except for Western countries and the UN. It's not like in a war situation this ship will be crewed by the International Red Cross. If Taiwan struck a ship that was nursing PLA soldiers back to health, that would be an exception especially if the US sides with Taiwan. The red cross on the ship just becomes as worthless as the paint used to brush it on.

Re: new PLAN Hospital ship

AssassinsMace said:

I've heard of that but this case would be unusual since no one has held the flag of the Red Cross except for Western countries and the UN. It's not like in a war situation this ship will be crewed by the International Red Cross. If Taiwan struck a ship that was nursing PLA soldiers back to health, that would be an exception especially if the US sides with Taiwan. The red cross on the ship just becomes as worthless as the paint used to brush it on.

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Most hospital ships are crewed by regular navy sailors of the respect country that operates that ship. Such ships are specially marked with the Red Cross and painted white, and all parties to the conflict are alerted to which ships are hospital ships, with a basic description of the ship's identifying features. So in any case, Taiwan would have received notice through the Red Cross from China that this ship is a hospital ship. Such ships are to be unarmed, which exceptions made for personnel onboard to carry small arms for self protection.

Re: new PLAN Hospital ship

Kongo said:

A hospital erected on Taiwan proper after a successful amphibious landing will not likely be as comprehensive as what can be gotten on board a ship. And casualties will be sustained during the assault proper. If you are thinking, why not bring them back to China? Look at the distances involved. The rate of casualty transfer and time taken to transfer the casualty should be quite clear.

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The PLAN doesn't have facilities now to accomodate casualties? What did they do before these ships? And if so many casualties do occur in a conflict with Taiwan as you say, first, how would they transport them back to these ships from the battlefield under fire? Second, would these ships be enough to handle all the casualties that will happen according to you? What most likely happens if the PLAN does reach Taiwan is MASH type units will be established or medical facilities already on Taiwan will be used if possible. The wounded will be stablized and then shipped back to the mainland. The US has their hospital ships in the Persian Gulf but not all the wounded go to those ships. There are other facilities and then they get flown to Germany... a much further distance than Taiwan to the mainland.

These ships served more of a value against Taiwan by having humanitarian missions to the countries that Taiwan has diplomatic relations and can only sit back and give money to.

Re: new PLAN Hospital ship

Pointblank said:

Most hospital ships are crewed by regular navy sailors of the respect country that operates that ship. Such ships are specially marked with the Red Cross and painted white, and all parties to the conflict are alerted to which ships are hospital ships, with a basic description of the ship's identifying features. So in any case, Taiwan would have received notice through the Red Cross from China that this ship is a hospital ship. Such ships are to be unarmed, which exceptions made for personnel onboard to carry small arms for self protection.

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I have a feeling the Taiwanese won't care because again those are PLA soldiers being nursed. And having the US on your side isn't a negative if the ship was targeted. I'm not contesting what you're saying. That's why I don't think these ships were constructed for and will be used for an invasion of Taiwan.