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Would it be safe to say that it's doubtful the Chinese care what Clinton says? As said, they need Iran as part of supplying their oil needs.
Associated Press link
Associated Press link
Chinese Military,Political and Social Superthread
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CougarDaddy said:
No, they 'care' about what she says.
But, Clinton has blundered. The Chinese
Further: China wants more than needs Iran's oil. China also wants to discomfit the USA whenever and wherever it can and failing to go along with US/Western sanctions against Iran does that: it lowers the value of US leadership and gives the Iranians a 'friend' they never had before - helping to offset the sting of US disapproval.
China is much more favoured (and feared) in the Second and Third Worlds than is the USA; China is growing in stature and 'affection' in the First World, too. All this serves to lower America's relative power.
Foreign leaders should say nice, polite, diplomatic nothings to and about China in public; hectoring should be reserved for private, off the record, discussions. Face* matters.
-----
* The concept of 'face' roughly translates as 'honour', 'good reputation' or 'respect'.
There are several types of 'face,' including:
1. Diu mianzi - is when one's actions or deeds have been exposed to people;
2. Shi mianzi 失面子 - is when one loses face;
3. Gei mianzii 給面子 - involves the giving of face to others through showing respect;
4. Liu mianzi 留面子 - is developed by avoiding mistakes and showing wisdom in action; and
5. Jiang mianzi - is when face is increased through others, i.e. someone complementing you to an associate.
It is critical one avoids losing face or causing the loss of face at all times.
- Reaction score
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And here, reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act from today’s Globe and Mail, is China’s counterpoint:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/china-raps-us-over-planned-arms-sales-to-taiwan/article1450430/
Although China does not really want the USA to stop arms transfers to Taiwan, everything there falls into Chinese hands sooner or later, this is, in some respects, China saying, “I see your shirty comment and raise you a threat and a diplomatic action. Your bet.”
My bet: If Obama does not cancel his meeting with the Dalai Lama then Hu Jintao will pay an extended visit to Canada and will snub Obama by not visiting the USA. Obama will be required to come to Beijing to meet Hu one-on-one.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/china-raps-us-over-planned-arms-sales-to-taiwan/article1450430/
Although China does not really want the USA to stop arms transfers to Taiwan, everything there falls into Chinese hands sooner or later, this is, in some respects, China saying, “I see your shirty comment and raise you a threat and a diplomatic action. Your bet.”
My bet: If Obama does not cancel his meeting with the Dalai Lama then Hu Jintao will pay an extended visit to Canada and will snub Obama by not visiting the USA. Obama will be required to come to Beijing to meet Hu one-on-one.
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E.R. Campbell said:
You forgot the characters for "Diu Mian Zi" : 丟面子
From what I observed, more people say "Diu Mian Zi" for "lose face" instead of "Shi Mian Zi". "Diu" on its own also means something was lost or had fallen down- thus the common expression: "Diu le!" ( 丟了!) But then again this seems to be when one simultaneously loses face and is also exposed to one's superiors and peers.
Plus, another result of continued US arms sales to Taiwan:
*Take note that this is not the first time these military exchanges have been suspended. It happened after the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown and also after the 1999 Chinese Embassy bombing in Belgrade, but they were later resumed after a few years after each incident, IIRC.
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CougarDaddy said:
Thanks for those explanations. I didn't 'forget' the characters: I didn't know how to write them. I also didn't understand the distinction between diu mian zi a she mian zi.
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Take note that in spite of this, China is still also a major polluter (all those coal plants) and has been so even before its rush to develop right after Deng Xiaoping opened up China from the 80s onward:
China Leading Global Race to Make Clean Energy
New York Times link
China vaulted past competitors in Denmark, Germany, Spain and the United States last year to become the world’s largest maker of wind turbines, and is poised to expand even further this year.
China has also leapfrogged the West in the last two years to emerge as the world’s largest manufacturer of solar panels. And the country is pushing equally hard to build nuclear reactors and the most efficient types of coal power plants.
... These efforts to dominate renewable energy technologies raise the prospect that the West may someday trade its dependence on oil from the Mideast for a reliance on solar panels, wind turbines and other gear manufactured in China.
... Multinational corporations are responding to the rapid growth of China’s market by building big, state-of-the-art factories in China. Vestas of Denmark has just erected the world’s biggest wind turbine manufacturing complex here in northeastern China, and transferred the technology to build the latest electronic controls and generators.
... China’s top leaders are intensely focused on energy policy: on Wednesday, the government announced the creation of a National Energy Commission composed of cabinet ministers as a “superministry” led by Prime Minister Wen Jiabao himself.
... President Obama, in his State of the Union speech last week, sounded an alarm that the United States was falling behind other countries, especially China, on energy. “I do not accept a future where the jobs and industries of tomorrow take root beyond our borders — and I know you don’t either,” he told Congress.
(...)
- Reaction score
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Here, reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act from today’s Globe and Mail is another report on China’s current feud with the USA:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/china-warns-obama-not-to-meet-dalai-lama/article1452742/
I said ”China’s current feud with the USA,” because it’s not the first and it will not be the last.
Mr. Zhu and his colleagues in the Government of China are being just a wee tad hypocritical, however; what ever happened to the doctrine of “non interference in the affairs of sovereign nations?” If China can criticize the US administration for something it might do then why can it not criticize, say, North Korea, Iran or Sudan for things they are doing?
But, the point, correctly noted by the authors, is that China is being increasingly assertive on a range of issues that it sees as touching on its own interests. The question is how will or, perhaps how can retaliate if Obama meets the Dalai Lama?
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/china-warns-obama-not-to-meet-dalai-lama/article1452742/
I said ”China’s current feud with the USA,” because it’s not the first and it will not be the last.
Mr. Zhu and his colleagues in the Government of China are being just a wee tad hypocritical, however; what ever happened to the doctrine of “non interference in the affairs of sovereign nations?” If China can criticize the US administration for something it might do then why can it not criticize, say, North Korea, Iran or Sudan for things they are doing?
But, the point, correctly noted by the authors, is that China is being increasingly assertive on a range of issues that it sees as touching on its own interests. The question is how will or, perhaps how can retaliate if Obama meets the Dalai Lama?
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Here, reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act from the Foreign Affairs web site, is an interesting report on China’s most pressing problem:
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/65947/the-end-of-the-beijing-consensus?page=2
The author’s conclusion, ”there is no alternative to greater democratization if the CCP wishes to encourage economic growth and maintain social stability” is quite correct. The problem is that as the middle class grows it gets past the first tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and it begins to become concerned with longer term socio-economic issues and it wants a voice in the decision making process. Social stability, what I usually refer to as social harmony, is much more important in a deeply conservative* society like China than is the case in the liberal (individualistic) West and those conservative values can be used, for a while, to delay democratization but , eventually, self interest and family interest will win out.
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* Conservative in the correct sense of the word, not the way the word is commonly used, especially in the United States, to describe social, political and ethical values that are anathema to real conservatives.
http://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/65947/the-end-of-the-beijing-consensus?page=2
The author’s conclusion, ”there is no alternative to greater democratization if the CCP wishes to encourage economic growth and maintain social stability” is quite correct. The problem is that as the middle class grows it gets past the first tier of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and it begins to become concerned with longer term socio-economic issues and it wants a voice in the decision making process. Social stability, what I usually refer to as social harmony, is much more important in a deeply conservative* society like China than is the case in the liberal (individualistic) West and those conservative values can be used, for a while, to delay democratization but , eventually, self interest and family interest will win out.
----------
* Conservative in the correct sense of the word, not the way the word is commonly used, especially in the United States, to describe social, political and ethical values that are anathema to real conservatives.
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Keyword regarding these polls: State-run newspaper. :
Remember that when there were public demonstrations against the US bombing of the PRC embassy of Belgrade in 1999, the "protestors" were bused to the protest venues outside the US embassy. Xinhua probably footed the bill for those buses.
Times online
Remember that when there were public demonstrations against the US bombing of the PRC embassy of Belgrade in 1999, the "protestors" were bused to the protest venues outside the US embassy. Xinhua probably footed the bill for those buses.
Times online
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Does this mean our, Canadian, warship will report to a Chinese commodore?
_____________________________
First posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 05 February 2010
China enhances role in anti-piracy effort off Somali coast
China is to become the next overall co-ordinator of the international anti-piracy effort in the Gulf of Aden, sending warships to permanently patrol a sector of the transit corridor off the Somali coast. The decision was taken in late January following a meeting of the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) grouping in Bahrain and represents an expansion of the global effort to prevent Somalia-based pirates from interrupting the annual passage of some 25,000 ships through its territorial waters.
_____________________________
Is that (SHADE) the group in which we participate?
_____________________________
First posted to http://jdw.janes.com - 05 February 2010
China enhances role in anti-piracy effort off Somali coast
China is to become the next overall co-ordinator of the international anti-piracy effort in the Gulf of Aden, sending warships to permanently patrol a sector of the transit corridor off the Somali coast. The decision was taken in late January following a meeting of the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) grouping in Bahrain and represents an expansion of the global effort to prevent Somalia-based pirates from interrupting the annual passage of some 25,000 ships through its territorial waters.
_____________________________
Is that (SHADE) the group in which we participate?
- Reaction score
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Discussed in the following piece is the view of how Taiwan should conduct itself toward the mainland as well as the US: Finlandization (fen lan hua: 芬蘭話). This view calls for Taiwan taking a "neutral stance" in the growing US-China rivalry, but also drifts closer to Beijing's orbit, but not enough to make it a "satellite" nation as what happened when Finland took a "neutral stance" in the rivalry between the East Bloc and the West during the Cold War.
Professor Bruce Gilley, the writer of this piece, has inferred that this view has apparently been adopted by both sides of the Taiwan Strait with the current "Second cross-strait detente" he mentions in the full article.
Foreign Affairs article link
Professor Bruce Gilley, the writer of this piece, has inferred that this view has apparently been adopted by both sides of the Taiwan Strait with the current "Second cross-strait detente" he mentions in the full article.
Foreign Affairs article link
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Here, reproduced under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act from today’s Globe and Mail, is a short essay by Prof. Daniel Bell on yet another rise of Confucianism in China:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/the-chinese-confucian-party/article1475141/
Prof. Bell is, intentionally, oversimplifying in order to meet the Good Grey Globe’s space limitations and to make any discussion of Confucianism accessible to Westerners. One of the things he fails to discuss is that Confucian ideas and ideals are deeply rooted in Chinese culture and, indeed, in many cases, can be seen as springing from already (2.500 years ago) deeply entrenched Chinese cultural values. Another thing he ignores is that Confucianism has changed over the millennia – this, 20th century revision – follows from the Neo-Confucian movement of the Song Dynasty (about 1,000 years ago) which added, considerably, to the philosophical base by adding many new commentaries to the Analects and the Mencius.
The deeply ingrained cultural values, whether they are based on Confucius or whether Confucius based his thinking on them is unimportant for this discussion, help to explain, for example, why many Chinese reject the kind of social safety net we prize in the West. Confucius made filial responsibility one of the main foundation stones of Chinese society. Many Chinese wonder why anyone would want the state to interfere in the care of one’s family. Consider this story I told to some Chinese acquaintances a few year ago:
My mother, in her 90s, required nearly round the clock care at home. Several nurses, included in a team organized by her daughter-in-law, were hired to work 24/7. The bill was pretty high, hitting six figures in the last year of her life. At one stage of a longish (three or so year) process a nice lady from the regional care bureaucracy came to see me: “We will provide 14 hours per week of ‘home care’ she said, but you should put your mother in an institution then the government will pay most of the costs, saving you/her many tens of thousands of dollars.” I (politely) sent her packing, with my thanks, explaining that I could and would care for my mother as she and I thought best.
My Chinese acquaintances, all well educated professionals, most living in cities quite far from their aging parents, were horrified that we would allow much less expect the state to fill our ordained roles and usurp our rights to do our filial duties. ”Why,” asked one fellow, an official in one of Beijing’s central agencies, “do I work so hard and deny myself things except to be able to care for my parents when they are old?” He was shocked at the idea that the state should need to care for senior citizens to anything like the degree we take for granted in the West.
With regard to Caplan and Confucius and lessons for the West. I’m afraid I disagree with Prof. Bell. Our liberal, individualistic values are too deeply ingrained in our cultural superstructure to be much informed by Confucius and the idea of a governing meritocracy. Confucianism is very suitable as a secular belief for deeply conservative societies (or civilizations if you like Sam Huntington’s theories, as I do) like those of China and Japan but it is an uneasy fit with Anglo-Dutch-Nordic liberalism. In fairness, however, the traditionally illiberal French constantly flirt with it – and equally constantly fail to find the solutions to problems created by their illiberal cultural values. Irrationality is, I think one of the prices we pay for a liberal democratic tradition. If you want to see a Confucian democracy then go to Singapore – it works but many, many Westerners detest it.
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/opinions/the-chinese-confucian-party/article1475141/
Prof. Bell is, intentionally, oversimplifying in order to meet the Good Grey Globe’s space limitations and to make any discussion of Confucianism accessible to Westerners. One of the things he fails to discuss is that Confucian ideas and ideals are deeply rooted in Chinese culture and, indeed, in many cases, can be seen as springing from already (2.500 years ago) deeply entrenched Chinese cultural values. Another thing he ignores is that Confucianism has changed over the millennia – this, 20th century revision – follows from the Neo-Confucian movement of the Song Dynasty (about 1,000 years ago) which added, considerably, to the philosophical base by adding many new commentaries to the Analects and the Mencius.
The deeply ingrained cultural values, whether they are based on Confucius or whether Confucius based his thinking on them is unimportant for this discussion, help to explain, for example, why many Chinese reject the kind of social safety net we prize in the West. Confucius made filial responsibility one of the main foundation stones of Chinese society. Many Chinese wonder why anyone would want the state to interfere in the care of one’s family. Consider this story I told to some Chinese acquaintances a few year ago:
My mother, in her 90s, required nearly round the clock care at home. Several nurses, included in a team organized by her daughter-in-law, were hired to work 24/7. The bill was pretty high, hitting six figures in the last year of her life. At one stage of a longish (three or so year) process a nice lady from the regional care bureaucracy came to see me: “We will provide 14 hours per week of ‘home care’ she said, but you should put your mother in an institution then the government will pay most of the costs, saving you/her many tens of thousands of dollars.” I (politely) sent her packing, with my thanks, explaining that I could and would care for my mother as she and I thought best.
My Chinese acquaintances, all well educated professionals, most living in cities quite far from their aging parents, were horrified that we would allow much less expect the state to fill our ordained roles and usurp our rights to do our filial duties. ”Why,” asked one fellow, an official in one of Beijing’s central agencies, “do I work so hard and deny myself things except to be able to care for my parents when they are old?” He was shocked at the idea that the state should need to care for senior citizens to anything like the degree we take for granted in the West.
With regard to Caplan and Confucius and lessons for the West. I’m afraid I disagree with Prof. Bell. Our liberal, individualistic values are too deeply ingrained in our cultural superstructure to be much informed by Confucius and the idea of a governing meritocracy. Confucianism is very suitable as a secular belief for deeply conservative societies (or civilizations if you like Sam Huntington’s theories, as I do) like those of China and Japan but it is an uneasy fit with Anglo-Dutch-Nordic liberalism. In fairness, however, the traditionally illiberal French constantly flirt with it – and equally constantly fail to find the solutions to problems created by their illiberal cultural values. Irrationality is, I think one of the prices we pay for a liberal democratic tradition. If you want to see a Confucian democracy then go to Singapore – it works but many, many Westerners detest it.
- Reaction score
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E.R. Campbell said:
No, not in any TACON/OPCON sense - that rests with the appropriate CCTF.
E.R. Campbell said:
Yes we do. It is constantly growing, to include industry representation as well as nations that either contribute military forces or have a vested interest in the IRTC - which is good. I am the SHADE coordinator here in Bahrain so I can post some more background tomorrow when I am at work.
MARS
- Reaction score
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Thanks for that and, for members’ information, I found more here at the China Defense Blog:
THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010
China to lead SHADE's anti-piracy patrols off Somalia
In November 2009, China expressed interest in playing a “lead role” in the fight against Somali pirates. (here) They requested to co-chair SHADE (Shared Awareness and Deconfliction) jointly with the EU and US-led Combined Maritime Force, headquartered in Bahrain.
After receiving support from the EU delegation, China is now approved to lead SHADE's anti-piracy patrols off Somalia. This effort will also require Chinese warships to patrol a sector of the special transit corridor through the most dangerous part of the Gulf of Aden and it also means China will need to send more than the three ships currently deployed off the Horn of Africa. Naturally, there are political complications for such a development and they can be summarized as follows.
First, there are those who view any Chinese military development, especially in the Indian Ocean, with suspicion. By operating under an international framework China’s effort can be seen as a positive step in alleviating suspicion.
Second, others see China’s military growth as “natural.” Writing in the current edition of the Atlantic monthly, Robert Kaplan argues that “as a great continental nation’s economy grows, it begins to trade more with the outside world and develops interests it did not have previously” (here) and that the Chinese build up mirrors what the United States once did. In that light, China is following a natural growth path. This group is less concerned about a PLAN “misadventure” in the region as long as its posture is not overly aggressive.
Lastly, there is also a group of critics who charge that China has enjoyed a free-ride provided by the United States Navy in protecting international waters (here). With 2.4 Trillion dollars in the Bank, China should constitute a greater share of the MOOTW burden. Unlike the previous two groups, this group would welcome greater Chinese participation in protecting the "liberal trade" system that the world enjoys.
Political considerations aside, in order for the PLAN to support an expanded naval deployment, it would require a greater fleet reserve at home. As a general rule, to maintain a task force of three ships on-station, the PLAN would need to keep a total of 9 ships on reserve: three on training, three on crew rotation and maintenance, and three on-station. That requirement could provide the justification the PLAN seeks for naval build up at home and abroad (expect to see more Type 054A frigates on order). Second, the PLAN would need to increase their C2 assets in order to communicate with other members of SHADE. The current fleet PLAN is not equipped with the extensive communication gear that can deal with a 40-nation strong Maritime Force. A PLAN overseas naval base in Djibouti seems to be an ideal location to host such a C2 asset. (here)
All in all, China’s mission to fight pirates is becoming "historical" indeed.
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China to lead anti-piracy patrols
PLA Navy officials agree to expanded role co-ordinating international efforts off Somalia
Greg Torode Chief Asia correspondent in Singapore
Jan 28, 2010
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2c913216495213d5df646910cba0a0a0/?vgnextoid=12aa9d9df9076210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=teaser&ss=China&s=News
China has won approval to lead the co-ordination of international anti-piracy patrols off Somalia - an unprecedented expansion of its historic deployment of warships to the Indian Ocean.
The effort will also see China send its warships to permanently patrol a sector of the special transit corridor through the most dangerous part of the Gulf of Aden. The pledge means that China needs to send more than the three ships it keeps deployed off the Horn of Africa to protect vital trade routes linking Asia to Europe.
PLA Navy officials reached agreement last week over its expanded role with major international navies at a meeting of the so-called Shade grouping in Bahrain, officials at the meeting said.
Shade, or Shared Awareness and Deconfliction, has been jointly headed by European Union forces and the US-led Combined Maritime Forces.
More than two years old, Shade meets monthly to maximise co-ordination and communication among the 40-odd navies now protecting shipping off the Horn of Africa.
While some nations operate as part of international flotillas under the banner of Nato, the EU or the CMF, some operate independently, including China, India, Russia, Malaysia and Iran.
Currently only Nato, EU and CMF ships patrol inside the corridor.
By committing to provide an "enduring" presence in the corridor, China will be eligible to lead as part of a new rotating chairmanship, which will switch every three to four months. It is expected to take charge by the middle of the year.
The move is expected to force India and Russia to seek a greater role, as they try to match a growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean.
Captain Chris Chambers, director of operations for the CMF, confirmed China's new role yesterday at a shipping conference in Singapore.
"There has been major progress in communication and co-operation with navies that once didn't really speak to each other," Chambers, a US naval officer, said. "China will get a chance to chair the Shade ... it is a very positive development.
"It will open the door for other independent nations to come in."
Other officials at last week's Bahrain meeting said the PLA was reporting back to Beijing for political approval before a formal announcement could be made.
Both Western and Asian naval officials are backing the move, knowing they are struggling to deal with a worsening piracy situation off Somalia, a failed state where pirates operate with no fear of law enforcement or other government intervention.
While the Gulf of Aden situation has eased under naval pressure, pirates are now attacking ships off Somalia's east coast, travelling more than 1,000 nautical miles into the Indian Ocean to seize ships, putting a wider range of shipping at risk. "It is getting desperate and there is no solution in sight," one foreign naval official said. "Anything China can do to offer more practical help will be taken up at this point. This deal is a straight win-win."
While helping to tackle a worsening international crisis, fighting piracy allows China to quietly develop an Indian Ocean presence - something military analysts believe could be highly strategic to its ambitions to create a navy with wide global reach.
Typically, hijacked ships are taken to pirate lairs on Somalia's east coast. The ship and crew are kept under armed guard but are generally unharmed until the owners can arrange a ransom, which now range between US$2 million and US$7 million.
China began pushing for a broader role after the hijacking in October of mainland bulk carrier the De Xin Hai. The ship, steaming to India with a load of South African coal when it was captured northeast of the Seychelles islands, was released late last month after the payment of US$3.5 million in cash.
The De Xin Hai was the first mainland ship to be captured since Beijing's historic deployment of warships to the area in December 2008.
That deployment marked the first time the Chinese navy had ventured into potential conflict beyond its home waters in centuries.
The PLA warships never attempted to attack or intercept the pirates, with PLA officials later insisting they were too far away at the time.
The warships - two destroyers and an armed supply ship - run regular escorts from convoys of ships registered in Hong Kong, Taiwan and on the mainland. Ships of other nations can join the Chinese convoys.
When not involved with convoys, the Chinese vessels have also assisted other international efforts. China's convoys sail near the transit corridor, keep in contact with it but have not been part of it. Now it has agreed to keep a single ship in the corridor for a month at a time, China will be assigned a 60 nautical mile stretch of ocean to permanently patrol.
Chinese officials have repeatedly suggested that individual countries should be given set areas of ocean to take responsibility for - a concept already in operation inside the corridor.
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Principled consensus on escort missions reached between China, EU, NATO, CMF
(Source: Xinhua) 2010-01-30
BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua)
Principled consensus was reached between China, European Union Naval Force, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), China's Ministry of National Defense said on Friday.
The consensus, outlining the shipping escort cooperation based on "areas of responsibility" in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), was approved Thursday at the the plenary meeting of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia in New York, said a statement from the ministry.
Previously, China had suggested cooperation be based on "areas of responsibility" under the UN Security Council resolutions while EU, NATO and CMF proposed coordination guidelines of the IRTC.
China and the three parties conducted rounds of consultations at the contact group meeting, international coordination meeting in Beijing and the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) system meeting in Bahrain.
The final principled consensus absorbed components of "areas of responsibility" in escort missions cooperation and the coordination guidelines of IRTC, showcasing concerted effort by all parties.
China always takes a positive and open attitude towards international cooperation on shipping escorts, and would like to cooperate with countries and organizations in line with UN Security Council resolutions for peace and stability in the Gulf of Aden and Somalia waters, said the statement.
----------
Speaking broadly, this is a very good thing. As the late US President Lyndon B Johnson is reputed to have observed about potential opponents, "it's better to have them in the tent pissin' out than outside pissin' in."
THURSDAY, JANUARY 28, 2010
China to lead SHADE's anti-piracy patrols off Somalia
In November 2009, China expressed interest in playing a “lead role” in the fight against Somali pirates. (here) They requested to co-chair SHADE (Shared Awareness and Deconfliction) jointly with the EU and US-led Combined Maritime Force, headquartered in Bahrain.
After receiving support from the EU delegation, China is now approved to lead SHADE's anti-piracy patrols off Somalia. This effort will also require Chinese warships to patrol a sector of the special transit corridor through the most dangerous part of the Gulf of Aden and it also means China will need to send more than the three ships currently deployed off the Horn of Africa. Naturally, there are political complications for such a development and they can be summarized as follows.
First, there are those who view any Chinese military development, especially in the Indian Ocean, with suspicion. By operating under an international framework China’s effort can be seen as a positive step in alleviating suspicion.
Second, others see China’s military growth as “natural.” Writing in the current edition of the Atlantic monthly, Robert Kaplan argues that “as a great continental nation’s economy grows, it begins to trade more with the outside world and develops interests it did not have previously” (here) and that the Chinese build up mirrors what the United States once did. In that light, China is following a natural growth path. This group is less concerned about a PLAN “misadventure” in the region as long as its posture is not overly aggressive.
Lastly, there is also a group of critics who charge that China has enjoyed a free-ride provided by the United States Navy in protecting international waters (here). With 2.4 Trillion dollars in the Bank, China should constitute a greater share of the MOOTW burden. Unlike the previous two groups, this group would welcome greater Chinese participation in protecting the "liberal trade" system that the world enjoys.
Political considerations aside, in order for the PLAN to support an expanded naval deployment, it would require a greater fleet reserve at home. As a general rule, to maintain a task force of three ships on-station, the PLAN would need to keep a total of 9 ships on reserve: three on training, three on crew rotation and maintenance, and three on-station. That requirement could provide the justification the PLAN seeks for naval build up at home and abroad (expect to see more Type 054A frigates on order). Second, the PLAN would need to increase their C2 assets in order to communicate with other members of SHADE. The current fleet PLAN is not equipped with the extensive communication gear that can deal with a 40-nation strong Maritime Force. A PLAN overseas naval base in Djibouti seems to be an ideal location to host such a C2 asset. (here)
All in all, China’s mission to fight pirates is becoming "historical" indeed.
----------
China to lead anti-piracy patrols
PLA Navy officials agree to expanded role co-ordinating international efforts off Somalia
Greg Torode Chief Asia correspondent in Singapore
Jan 28, 2010
http://www.scmp.com/portal/site/SCMP/menuitem.2c913216495213d5df646910cba0a0a0/?vgnextoid=12aa9d9df9076210VgnVCM100000360a0a0aRCRD&vgnextfmt=teaser&ss=China&s=News
China has won approval to lead the co-ordination of international anti-piracy patrols off Somalia - an unprecedented expansion of its historic deployment of warships to the Indian Ocean.
The effort will also see China send its warships to permanently patrol a sector of the special transit corridor through the most dangerous part of the Gulf of Aden. The pledge means that China needs to send more than the three ships it keeps deployed off the Horn of Africa to protect vital trade routes linking Asia to Europe.
PLA Navy officials reached agreement last week over its expanded role with major international navies at a meeting of the so-called Shade grouping in Bahrain, officials at the meeting said.
Shade, or Shared Awareness and Deconfliction, has been jointly headed by European Union forces and the US-led Combined Maritime Forces.
More than two years old, Shade meets monthly to maximise co-ordination and communication among the 40-odd navies now protecting shipping off the Horn of Africa.
While some nations operate as part of international flotillas under the banner of Nato, the EU or the CMF, some operate independently, including China, India, Russia, Malaysia and Iran.
Currently only Nato, EU and CMF ships patrol inside the corridor.
By committing to provide an "enduring" presence in the corridor, China will be eligible to lead as part of a new rotating chairmanship, which will switch every three to four months. It is expected to take charge by the middle of the year.
The move is expected to force India and Russia to seek a greater role, as they try to match a growing Chinese presence in the Indian Ocean.
Captain Chris Chambers, director of operations for the CMF, confirmed China's new role yesterday at a shipping conference in Singapore.
"There has been major progress in communication and co-operation with navies that once didn't really speak to each other," Chambers, a US naval officer, said. "China will get a chance to chair the Shade ... it is a very positive development.
"It will open the door for other independent nations to come in."
Other officials at last week's Bahrain meeting said the PLA was reporting back to Beijing for political approval before a formal announcement could be made.
Both Western and Asian naval officials are backing the move, knowing they are struggling to deal with a worsening piracy situation off Somalia, a failed state where pirates operate with no fear of law enforcement or other government intervention.
While the Gulf of Aden situation has eased under naval pressure, pirates are now attacking ships off Somalia's east coast, travelling more than 1,000 nautical miles into the Indian Ocean to seize ships, putting a wider range of shipping at risk. "It is getting desperate and there is no solution in sight," one foreign naval official said. "Anything China can do to offer more practical help will be taken up at this point. This deal is a straight win-win."
While helping to tackle a worsening international crisis, fighting piracy allows China to quietly develop an Indian Ocean presence - something military analysts believe could be highly strategic to its ambitions to create a navy with wide global reach.
Typically, hijacked ships are taken to pirate lairs on Somalia's east coast. The ship and crew are kept under armed guard but are generally unharmed until the owners can arrange a ransom, which now range between US$2 million and US$7 million.
China began pushing for a broader role after the hijacking in October of mainland bulk carrier the De Xin Hai. The ship, steaming to India with a load of South African coal when it was captured northeast of the Seychelles islands, was released late last month after the payment of US$3.5 million in cash.
The De Xin Hai was the first mainland ship to be captured since Beijing's historic deployment of warships to the area in December 2008.
That deployment marked the first time the Chinese navy had ventured into potential conflict beyond its home waters in centuries.
The PLA warships never attempted to attack or intercept the pirates, with PLA officials later insisting they were too far away at the time.
The warships - two destroyers and an armed supply ship - run regular escorts from convoys of ships registered in Hong Kong, Taiwan and on the mainland. Ships of other nations can join the Chinese convoys.
When not involved with convoys, the Chinese vessels have also assisted other international efforts. China's convoys sail near the transit corridor, keep in contact with it but have not been part of it. Now it has agreed to keep a single ship in the corridor for a month at a time, China will be assigned a 60 nautical mile stretch of ocean to permanently patrol.
Chinese officials have repeatedly suggested that individual countries should be given set areas of ocean to take responsibility for - a concept already in operation inside the corridor.
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Principled consensus on escort missions reached between China, EU, NATO, CMF
(Source: Xinhua) 2010-01-30
BEIJING, Jan. 29 (Xinhua)
Principled consensus was reached between China, European Union Naval Force, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Combined Maritime Forces (CMF), China's Ministry of National Defense said on Friday.
The consensus, outlining the shipping escort cooperation based on "areas of responsibility" in the Internationally Recommended Transit Corridor (IRTC), was approved Thursday at the the plenary meeting of the Contact Group on Piracy off the Coast of Somalia in New York, said a statement from the ministry.
Previously, China had suggested cooperation be based on "areas of responsibility" under the UN Security Council resolutions while EU, NATO and CMF proposed coordination guidelines of the IRTC.
China and the three parties conducted rounds of consultations at the contact group meeting, international coordination meeting in Beijing and the Shared Awareness and Deconfliction (SHADE) system meeting in Bahrain.
The final principled consensus absorbed components of "areas of responsibility" in escort missions cooperation and the coordination guidelines of IRTC, showcasing concerted effort by all parties.
China always takes a positive and open attitude towards international cooperation on shipping escorts, and would like to cooperate with countries and organizations in line with UN Security Council resolutions for peace and stability in the Gulf of Aden and Somalia waters, said the statement.
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Speaking broadly, this is a very good thing. As the late US President Lyndon B Johnson is reputed to have observed about potential opponents, "it's better to have them in the tent pissin' out than outside pissin' in."
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A report on the weaknesses of the ROCAF/Guo Min Kong Jun. Whether or not the US sells Taiwan more of the needed new fighters may give an indication whether they want Taiwan to remain a US "ally" or be "Finlandized" as mentioned in another article above.
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