In 2018, the Chinese military frequently appeared on the international stage with a more confident and open posture. Their participation in international peacekeeping operations, offshore escort missions, joint training and exercises, and anti-terrorism activities, has demonstrated the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA’s) pragmatic and positive actions to shoulder the responsibility of big powers for world peace-maintenance and the building of a community of shared future for mankind.
International peacekeeping operations
In South Sudan, Chinese peacekeeping infantry battalion carried out armed patrols and emergency blockade and control actions; in Lebanon, Chinese peacekeeping engineers went deep into the minefields for explosive ordnance disposals (EOD); in Mali, Chinese peacekeeping forces responded quickly and properly to car bomb attacks near their barracks...
The person in charge of the Peacekeeping Affairs Center of China’s Ministry of National Defense said that since the beginning of this year, the Chinese military has further increased the type of its dispatched detachments to the UN peacekeeping operations, further expanded the deployment area, and further enlarged the personnel scale. It has been accredited by the international community as “a key factor and key force for peacekeeping operations.”
The year 2018 marks the 70th anniversary of the UN’s peacekeeping operations. According to the data from China’s Ministry of National Defense, the Chinese military participated in 24 UN peacekeeping operations, built new roads and repaired existing roads for a total of more than 16,000 kilometers, cleared more than 9,800 mines and various unexploded ordnance, and received more than 200,000 patients, transported various types of materials and equipment of 1.35 million tons, with 13 Chinese military personnel having lost their precious lives.
At present, China is a country that has sent the largest number of peacekeeping forces among the permanent members of the UN Security Council. More than 2,500 Chinese peacekeepers are performing tasks in the seven mission areas of the UN and the UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations (DPKO).
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres pointed out that China has become the second largest contributor to UN peacekeeping operations, given strong support to international peacekeeping operations, and made constructive recommendations to improve the security and efficiency of the UN peacekeeping operations.
Escort missions in high seas
On December 9th, the 31st escort taskforce of the Chinese PLA Navy rushed to the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters to carry out escort missions, replacing the Chinese 30th escort taskforce that was about to complete its escort mission in high seas.
“Thank you!” “Thanks to the Chinese Navy!” Shouts of gratitude delivered by the captain of a Panamanian merchant ship, which had just been disarmed, were heard in the Very High Frequency (VHF) from the Chinese comprehensive supply ship Dongpinghu (Hull 960) bridge, where the 30th escort taskforce of the Chinese Navy was onboard, on the morning of September 10th (local time).
The Panamanian ship, the escort target of the Chinese 30th escort taskforce, is prone to attacks of pirates with weak safety protection. When the merchant ship applied for a temporary escort, the Chinese escort taskforce command post decided to send the comprehensive supply ship Dongpinghu to ensure the merchant ship protection.
During the 10 years since the escort began on December 26th, 2008, the Chinese Navy has cumulatively dispatched 100 naval vessels and more than 26,000 officers and soldiers to escort 1,191 batches of 6,595 Chinese and foreign vessels, and rescued more than 60 vessels in distress. And they have kept a “two 100-percent safety” record both for the rescued vessels and for the taskforces themselves.
Joint training and exercises
In 2018, the Chinese military and foreign troops held dozens of bilateral or multilateral joint training and exercises. The forces involved include multiple services of army, air force, and navy, and the subjects involved anti-terrorism, peacekeeping, medical service, humanitarian relief and disaster reduction, etc.
Among them, the “Vostok-2018” strategic military drills held in Russia from September 11-15th attracted the most attention. At the invitation of the Russian side, the Chinese side dispatched about 3,200 troops and more than 1,000 equipped vehicles of various types, and 30 fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
This was the largest outbound drill participation in the history of the Chinese military.
Major General Shao Yuanming, vice-chief of staff at the Joint Staff Department of China’s Central Military Commission and Chinese chief commander at the drills, said that China and Russia have taken active role as, and shouldered the responsibility of the big powers, and set a new model of international relations with cooperation and win-win as the core. They have made great contributions to maintaining world peace.
In the future, China and Russia will continue to consolidate and deepen the “Peace Mission-2018” joint anti-terrorism exercise among the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states and the China-Russia “Joint Sea” military exercise, and explore a new mechanism for pragmatic cooperation between the two militaries, he said.
Military diplomacy
In 2018, the Chinese military strengthened its strategic scheme of military diplomacy and actively carried out all-round, multi-level and wide-ranging diplomatic activities. The role of military diplomacy in facilitating national foreign work continues to be enhanced, and the ability to safeguard world peace and regional stability is progressively improving.
At present, the Chinese PLA Navy’s hospital ship Peace Ark (Hull 866), having carried out the “Harmonious Mission 2018,” is on its way home. Since its commission in 2008, the hospital ship has carried out seven tasks in the Harmonious Mission series, visited 43 countries with a cumulative range of approximately 230,000 nautical miles, and received 230,000 patients in the visited countries for free.
Antigua and Barbuda’s Governor-General Rodney Williams said that the Chinese naval ship Peace Ark not only brought health treatments, but also joy and hope. This action of love is a vivid practice of China’s promotion of building a community of shared future for mankind.
From October 24-26th, the 8th Beijing Xiangshan Forum was held with the theme of “Building a New Type of Security Partnership of Equality, Mutual Trust and Win-Win Cooperation.” Participants exchanged views on such issues as “threats of and responses to terrorism,” “reality and vision of maritime security cooperation.”
Chen Guangjun, President of the China Institute for International strategic Studies (CIISS), said that joining hands with all the other countries in the world to protect world peace has always been the unchanging initial heart of China.
In 2018, the Chinese military focused on strengthening strategic communication and pragmatic cooperation, and was committed to working with the rest of the world to jointly safeguard the world peace and stability. Those were reflected by the exchange of visits between Chinese and US defense ministers, the visits of European multinational defense ministers to China, and a series of military diplomatic activities of China carried out with neighboring countries.
Chen Zhou, a researcher at the Chinese PLA’s Academy of Military Sciences, said that the Chinese military will assume more international responsibilities and obligations within its capabilities, provide more public safety products, and make greater contributions to safeguarding world peace and promoting common development.