This can be seen in recent “goodwill” naval operations by the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) in the South Pacific, amid increasing strategic competition with the United States and its allies.
PLAN conducts routine medical missions in the Pacific (e.g. Type 920 hospital ship) ark of peace It departed from Zhoushan on July 3 and began Harmony Mission 2023.
The 14,000-ton ship called at Kiribati, Tonga, Vanuatu, the Solomon Islands and Timor-Leste before returning home in September. ark of peace This was my first visit to Kiribati and the Solomon Islands. A total of 126 Chinese military and civilian medical personnel were on board and stayed at each port for a week, providing free medical services.
Similarly, the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s latest Type 680 training ship Qi Jiguan It is also active in the South Pacific. After leaving Qingdao on September 4 with cadets from the Dalian Naval Academy on board, she visited Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji in turn.
Approximately 350 sailor candidates were on board, including sailors from five foreign countries. One of them, Lieutenant Josiah Nauru from Fiji, told CGTN: “We had a wonderful journey. On board we received both theoretical and practical training, including navigation, seamanship, and engineering. In addition, we were trained on board, in the bridge, in the electrical control room, We also have to perform our duties in the engineering control room.” Ensign Naul had just completed a four-year naval degree in China.
length 163 meters Qi Jiguan Bilateral training was conducted in each country visited. The People’s Liberation Army said these operations “continue the traditional friendly military relations with our South Pacific partners.”
At the beginning of this year, 9,000 tons of Qi Jiguan I visited Vietnam, Thailand, Brunei, and the Philippines. “This plan aims to improve the operational adaptability and capabilities of Chinese naval cadets, strengthen maritime operational cooperation and mutual trust with visiting countries, and contribute to serving and building a maritime community with a shared destiny. It is the purpose.” The People’s Liberation Army said.
Such cruises fly the Chinese flag, further helping to mark the country’s “blue economic route” to the South Pacific. In 2017, China proposed three such “blue economic corridors” as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, one of which is the China-Oceania-South Pacific Corridor.
But more than just economic sea lanes is at stake, as the People’s Liberation Army Navy is keen to develop links deep into the Pacific Ocean far beyond the First Island Chain. The ability to conduct long-range maritime surveillance and respond flexibly in times of stress is important to the Navy.
Department of Defense 2023 Edition Military and security developments relating to the People’s Republic of China The report states:
“China is seeking to expand its overseas logistics and base infrastructure to enable the PLA to project and sustain military power further afield. As global military objectives evolve, they have the potential to disrupt U.S. military operations.”
The prospect of China’s construction of new naval bases and the proliferation of bases across the South Pacific has alarmed Australia, New Zealand and the United States.
China is seeking to gain a strategic foothold in Pacific island countries, and has already achieved influential positions in the Solomon Islands, for example. Bilateral security agreements allow China to send military personnel to maintain order, but the Solomon Islands government denies that this will lead to a Chinese military base.
Of course, China is not the only country conducting friendly naval missions in the Pacific. U.S. Navy Capt. Claudine Caruori announced on November 3 that nearly 1,500 members were involved in the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Partnership 2023, including members from Australia, Canada, Chile, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and the United Kingdom. told the media.
Captain Kaluori, Pacific Partnership 2023 Mission Commander, said the program was in its 18th year since the first one was implemented in response to the devastating tsunami that hit South and Southeast Asia in 2004. Ta.
This year’s mission centers on the dock landing ship USS Pearl Harbor (LSD52) and independence-Class USS jackson (LCS6). Pacific Partnership 2023 began in Vietnam in August and has since concluded in the Philippines, Malaysia, Samoa, Palau, Papua New Guinea and Fiji.
navy news Capt. Caluoli asked if there was any cooperation or competition between the U.S. Navy and the Chinese Navy during Pacific Partnership 2023, or if there were any encounters between the two navies. The mission commander responded, “We are not aware of any contact at this time.” Captain Kaluori further stated that the Pacific Partnership is implemented annually and should not be interpreted as a response to any country or current events.
She continued: “…Dear U.S. Navy and allies and partners, we are committed to expanding our cooperation with our host nations and are committed to enhancing communication and understanding that fosters greater cooperation and partnerships that benefit all nations. looking forward to it.
“All Pacific Partnership 2023 activities will be driven by the request and approval of the host nation…Host nations will be able to visit the U.S. Navy and its mission partners to conduct engineering, disaster response, public health, outreach events, etc. We invite you to carry out customized humanitarian civil service readiness activities in the field.” And again, any additional criteria, such as host country objections or requests, will be taken into account. ”
The Chinese Navy first deployed to Oceania in 1976, but its first port call to the region was not until 1998. To date, Chinese naval vessels have made approximately 54 port calls in Oceania. Since 2010, their frequency has increased, especially in Melanesia and Western Polynesia.
China’s first naval training visit to the South Pacific took place in 2012, and medical missions have been ongoing since 2014. Each of these has been held four times so far, but COVID-19 has temporarily affected their frequency.
Fiji was the most regular port of call, with 20 calls, including numerous port calls. Wang Yuan Space tracking vessel of China Satellite Tracking and Control Administration. Incidentally, China donated the catamaran hydrographic survey vessel RFNS. cacau I went to Fiji in 2019.
China also deployed two naval vessels – Type 071 landing platform docks Five fingers mountain 901 type supply ship Chaganfu – to Tonga after the January 2022 volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami.