Saturday, October 14, 2017

China's Weak Spot Is Its 'Military' Diplomacy

China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier enters Hong Kong waters. Photo: Felix Wong

Cary Huang, South China Morning Post: China’s military is mighty, but diplomacy is still a weak spot

Visit to London by Chinese ships highlights growing naval ambitions – but such shows of power can also undermine Beijing’s efforts to convince the world it seeks a peaceful rise.

The sight of Chinese warships, loaded with an astonishing arsenal of weapons, sailing along the Thames and docking in Canary Wharf, London’s bustling financial hub, has caught the attention of global media. The port call last week was part of a goodwill exercise that has taken the Chinese fleet across the world.

The 26th Chinese Navy Escort, composing of two missile frigates and one replenishment ship, arrived in London fresh from port visits to Belgium, the Netherlands and Denmark. And before its European stops, the escort had completed a four-month mission in the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters. The operations were a showcase of Chinese military diplomacy, aimed at highlighting China’s mounting capabilities and its efforts to become a global maritime power.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The US has servicemen in around 800 bases in about 80 foreign countries .... China's only foreign base is in Djibouti. So for the Chinese .... if they want they want to have that type of "clout" .... they have a long way to go.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

I don't care if they have a thousand bases (either of them) as long as they stick to UN decisions/human right court and WHO and WTO etc decisions. So far China violates many of those, ignores patent and copyright decisions, ignores and promotes mass industrial espionage, bullies its neighbours, abducts people (see Hong Hong bookseller cases), destroys the environment incl in the south china sea, supports North Korea financially,politically and militarily. .yawn. .shall I go on?
What China needs to do is grow up. What we need to do is treat China like a grown up and stop ignoring all those violations, abuses, unfair trade, and other offences.