plawolf
Lieutenant General
I think we can all agree that China has an image problem abroad, particularly in the West. Lets leave aside for now, whether that image problem is deserved or not as I think that facet of the subject will be very polarizing and ultimately serves no real constructive purpose, and instead focus on things China can do to improve and change that image problem.
I think there are a number of areas that China needs to do a great deal more on urgently.
China can do is be more proactive in foreign affairs, especially in humanitarian relief missions. I think we are already seeing the first signs of this more confident and outward looking foreign policy. China's involvement in the Aden escort mission is the first and best example of this.
But I think China needs to look beyond totally risk-free missions where it would be neigh on impossible for it's detractors to try and criticize them and distort the truth of what they are doing and also not bother so much with contribution to UN missions since the biased western media will never give China credit and will probably purposefully distort and omit China's contribution. Take the earthquake relief effort in Haiti for example. Pretty much the only coverage the western media made of China's contribution was the allegation that Chinese relief teams went to help Chinese peacekeepers in the country first, when in fact they went to help the UN headquarters first, and were the ones who recovered the head of the UN mission's body. It just so happens that the UN mission head was meeting with a delegation from the Chinese peacekeeping unit at the time the earthquake struck, so the news was twisted to make it look like the Chinese only went to Haiti to help their own.
China needs to do this under it's own flag and with it's own people who display their origins prominently and proudly to the world.
I read an article today on the , and beyond the immediate sympathy and empathy for their plight, I cannot help but think that this is the perfect opportunity for China to step up.
China can use its none interference policy and track record to its advantage and offer to set up humanitarian relief operations. Chinese flagged ships can directly bring in much needed food, fuel and medical supplies as well as tents, heaters, winter clothing, water treatment equipment, doctors etc and set up direct distribution centers with Red Cross and Red Crescent observes to pre-empt the charge that China is secretly helping the Syrian regime.
A further step could be for China to undertake similar missions in countries western nations are actively engaged in military operations in. This would maximize public exposure so the western media cannot simply omit to mention the good works China is doing, and also create a stark contrast in the eyes of the rest of the world about the vastly different roles China and the West are playing on the world stage.
So, if the French manage to pull off a stunning speedy victory in Mali, good for them. If not, and things descend into a protracted insurgency, China could consider establishing humanitarian relief mission to help with the displaced and injured civilian victims of the conflict.
China could use the need to mount such missions as a reason to establish foreign logistical supply bases, which would be a far less threatening move than establishing military bases overseas, but which can serve the same purpose. The PLAAF can get long range logistical training by flying in supplies and personnel from time to time, and the PLAN can practice long range deployments and develop it's long range logistical support capabilities and put them to the test ferrying supplies.
The most tricky element of this strategy would be security. The sight of Chinese soldiers on foreign soil would help the haters and bashers no end as they try and paint China's involvement as "colonialism" or other such nonsense, and the risks of getting dragged into a conflict because of a misunderstanding is too high. But neither should China leave it's personnel and property undefended for any outlaw group to attack and pillage as they please.
Based on this, I think it would be best if China adopted to two step approach to security. The first is to actively engage and employ locals to help with the security. Make it clear to them that the Chinese are there to help them, and that it would be in their best interests to help keep the Chinese safe in turn. So it will be locals who provide the first line of defense, and they can be paid and equipped with non-lethal weapons like stunguns and bullet proof vests etc.
If any unfortunate incidents occur and Chinese personnel are killed or taken hostage, it should be the locals who are the first to be asked to resolve the situation. So China will seek local tribal elders and the like to provide justice and abide by local laws and customs.
The second part of the security strategy would be a small Chinese naval task group consisting of 1 x 071 LPD and a small number of escorts, who would be on station near any Chinese operation throughout the mission but their presence not be mentioned other than to say that they are on routine deployment.
If the locals cannot resolve any incidents peacefully and have exhausted all peaceful avenues of negotiation, then and only then should a military option be considered.
Hopefully such options would not need to be exercised, and China has tended to be able to negotiate the release of hostages without resorting to threats or the use of force, so this should be largely just long range deployment training for the PLAN, but the added option is always useful, and would be a good source of reassurance for the Chinese nationals operating in such dangerous places.
So, I would like this threat to largely focus on these and any other opportunities for China to assert itself more on the world stage to help improve it's image, and to discussing the merits, costs and dangers of such missions.
I think there are a number of areas that China needs to do a great deal more on urgently.
China can do is be more proactive in foreign affairs, especially in humanitarian relief missions. I think we are already seeing the first signs of this more confident and outward looking foreign policy. China's involvement in the Aden escort mission is the first and best example of this.
But I think China needs to look beyond totally risk-free missions where it would be neigh on impossible for it's detractors to try and criticize them and distort the truth of what they are doing and also not bother so much with contribution to UN missions since the biased western media will never give China credit and will probably purposefully distort and omit China's contribution. Take the earthquake relief effort in Haiti for example. Pretty much the only coverage the western media made of China's contribution was the allegation that Chinese relief teams went to help Chinese peacekeepers in the country first, when in fact they went to help the UN headquarters first, and were the ones who recovered the head of the UN mission's body. It just so happens that the UN mission head was meeting with a delegation from the Chinese peacekeeping unit at the time the earthquake struck, so the news was twisted to make it look like the Chinese only went to Haiti to help their own.
China needs to do this under it's own flag and with it's own people who display their origins prominently and proudly to the world.
I read an article today on the , and beyond the immediate sympathy and empathy for their plight, I cannot help but think that this is the perfect opportunity for China to step up.
China can use its none interference policy and track record to its advantage and offer to set up humanitarian relief operations. Chinese flagged ships can directly bring in much needed food, fuel and medical supplies as well as tents, heaters, winter clothing, water treatment equipment, doctors etc and set up direct distribution centers with Red Cross and Red Crescent observes to pre-empt the charge that China is secretly helping the Syrian regime.
A further step could be for China to undertake similar missions in countries western nations are actively engaged in military operations in. This would maximize public exposure so the western media cannot simply omit to mention the good works China is doing, and also create a stark contrast in the eyes of the rest of the world about the vastly different roles China and the West are playing on the world stage.
So, if the French manage to pull off a stunning speedy victory in Mali, good for them. If not, and things descend into a protracted insurgency, China could consider establishing humanitarian relief mission to help with the displaced and injured civilian victims of the conflict.
China could use the need to mount such missions as a reason to establish foreign logistical supply bases, which would be a far less threatening move than establishing military bases overseas, but which can serve the same purpose. The PLAAF can get long range logistical training by flying in supplies and personnel from time to time, and the PLAN can practice long range deployments and develop it's long range logistical support capabilities and put them to the test ferrying supplies.
The most tricky element of this strategy would be security. The sight of Chinese soldiers on foreign soil would help the haters and bashers no end as they try and paint China's involvement as "colonialism" or other such nonsense, and the risks of getting dragged into a conflict because of a misunderstanding is too high. But neither should China leave it's personnel and property undefended for any outlaw group to attack and pillage as they please.
Based on this, I think it would be best if China adopted to two step approach to security. The first is to actively engage and employ locals to help with the security. Make it clear to them that the Chinese are there to help them, and that it would be in their best interests to help keep the Chinese safe in turn. So it will be locals who provide the first line of defense, and they can be paid and equipped with non-lethal weapons like stunguns and bullet proof vests etc.
If any unfortunate incidents occur and Chinese personnel are killed or taken hostage, it should be the locals who are the first to be asked to resolve the situation. So China will seek local tribal elders and the like to provide justice and abide by local laws and customs.
The second part of the security strategy would be a small Chinese naval task group consisting of 1 x 071 LPD and a small number of escorts, who would be on station near any Chinese operation throughout the mission but their presence not be mentioned other than to say that they are on routine deployment.
If the locals cannot resolve any incidents peacefully and have exhausted all peaceful avenues of negotiation, then and only then should a military option be considered.
Hopefully such options would not need to be exercised, and China has tended to be able to negotiate the release of hostages without resorting to threats or the use of force, so this should be largely just long range deployment training for the PLAN, but the added option is always useful, and would be a good source of reassurance for the Chinese nationals operating in such dangerous places.
So, I would like this threat to largely focus on these and any other opportunities for China to assert itself more on the world stage to help improve it's image, and to discussing the merits, costs and dangers of such missions.
