• The growing international role of the PLA

    China has shown recently an unsual aspect of its growing global presence: Humanitarian intervention.

    The recent earthquake in Nepal on April 25th revealed the new involvment of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) on the international stage.

    China, after a quiet economic development during decades, seems finally ready to endorse its role as a central geopolitical power in the Asia-Pacific region to the great displeasure of the United States.

     

     The PLA to boost China's international standing

    The growing international role of the PLA

    The People's Liberation Army (PLA) is becoming a new tool for positive communication of China to the world.

    Beijing responded to the earthquake in Kathmandu with a remarkable speed, sending rescue teams six hours only after the catastrophe. This first team was quickly followed by the dispatch of more than a thousand PLA soldiers to Kathmandu and remote areas of Nepal, tons of relief materials sent with 8 transport planes... which represents the biggest humanitarian aid mission since 1949 and the founding of the "New China".

    Thus, China has made it clear to the world that the PLA is operational to intervene in any emergency situations around the world.

    The growing international role of the PLAEarlier this year, the PLA showed to the world another demonstration of its capacity to manage large-scale military aid interventions. The evacuation of people from Yemen, even though it did not have media coverage, was a significant operation led by the PLA. Indeed, in April 2015, the chinese dispatched PLA Navy frigates in Yemen to repatriate 225 nationals from 10 different countries. The operation was as surprising - Beijing is not famous for rescuing its overseas citizens - as efficient. Moreover, the US were shamefully absent from this operation as they refused to evacuate US citizens. The presence of Chinese Navy being quite important in the Gulf of Aden as a part of the antipiracy efforts in the region led from Djibouti, the PLA had an opportunity to remind other countries of the positive intentions of its deployment around the world. Last year, chinese army also had some striking humanitarian actions such as the aid to fight the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone and Liberia...

     

    Tus, the PLA seems to have multiplied aid missions recently in a campaign to boost its positive image and especially dispel distrust towards China's growing military capacities. It supposes to go through a humanisation of the PLA which embodies the image of "non-agressive" development that Beijing wants to project: the famous "Chinese soft power".

     

    The distrust towards the PLA

    These goodwill interventions are a good thing as it shows that China starts taking seriously its role as a prominent global leader, and the responsibilities it entails.

    However, The PLA is also facing a huge paradox as it is gradually seen as a major threat for the stability of the Asia-Pacific region.

    The most burning issues concern the numerous territorial claims of Beijing in the China Sea and the Yellow sea around China. This threatening stance was exacerbated in December 2013 when China announced the creation of its ADIZ [Air Defense Identification Zone: See previous article on this blog: ADIZ (in French)] which included some disputed islands with its neigbouring countries.

    The most famous conflict concerns the Diaoyu islands (Senkaku in Japanese) which represents one of the source of tensions between China and Japan. But China is also threatening other countries, especially Vietnam and the Philippines, disputing them some of their islands and fishing areas.

    The United States are even more worried by the PLA military programs on some archipelagos of the South China Sea where China is building great military infrastructures (naval bases, airstrips, logistics infrastructures...) at an unprecedented pace [See the interesting article from the Diplomat: South China Sea: China's Unprecedented Spratlys Building Program]

    The growing international role of the PLA

     

    We can consider that the extended activities of the PLA outside China are a logical evolution of Beijing's growing importance in the global geopolitical chessboard. The PLA has taken its part in the role of "global policeman" that the US have exercised almost alone for a long time. From this point of view the extension of the military bases of the PLA worldwide is not worrying. It is normal that Beijing challenges the US on the Asian continent as it has now replaced Japan as the leader over the region. However, the recent military building programs of the PLA in the South China Sea can raise questions about the peaceful intents of Beijing. The building programs on the Spratly islands for example, represent a major risk for the stability in the region as it gives China a military control over the most strategic maritime road in the world.


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