China's Emergence as a Superpower (till 2014)

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Originally Posted by Ray

There to bring peace or guard Chinese interests?

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The deployment has all the appearances of a diplomatic fudge. China wants to be there to protect its interests, South Sudan wants China's help and knows the UN so far have not greatly ensured peace - largely due to their own internal feuding.

I'm not sure what Sudan's stance has been, although cozying up to China is not unknown in Africa. Other neighbours, notably Kenya and Uganda, who permit UN logistics - who knows.

Having a 'blue beret' makes this Chinese national deployment acceptable to the wider African political community, the AU I'm sure was consulted.

A "lurker" who watches China far more than I wondered aloud that the Chinese state does not care for its nationals who live abroad.

The vast majority have personally emigrated, for a better life usually and as at least two SWC threads have touched upon how the PRC would respond:

a) How will China react to lost investments:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=14271

b) China's expanding role in Africa:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=2164

There also my "hobby horse" thread, the kith & kin factor:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ead.php?t=8829

Then recently the PRC deployed an infantry battallion to South Sudan, wearing UN "blue berets", to protect its oil workers and investments:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=21137

Is this deployment only to protect a state investment and staff?

Anyone else any thoughts or contributions?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Ray

There to bring peace or guard Chinese interests?

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What do you think?

http://youtu.be/x-2VmohG_Pk

Chinese troops are being deployed in a restive, oil-rich region in a far-off continent. What could possibly go wrong?
http://theweek.com/article/index/268...uagmire-abroad

Could this growing Chinese interest in Africa be the early beginnings of a potential 21st Century "Scramble for Africa" by rising Asian powers in need of cheap resources? Could borders be redrawn with emphasis on interior-to-port accessibility? If Japan does manage to reassert itself militarily (in response to perceived growth in Chinese strength), could Japan join the Chinese in African ventures to secure resources as well as accessing African consumers? Maybe the ROKs? Vietnamese? Indians? Just wild speculation on my part.

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Originally Posted by Morgan

Could this growing Chinese interest in Africa be the early beginnings of a potential 21st Century "Scramble for Africa" by rising Asian powers in need of cheap resources? Could borders be redrawn with emphasis on interior-to-port accessibility? If Japan does manage to reassert itself militarily (in response to perceived growth in Chinese strength), could Japan join the Chinese in African ventures to secure resources as well as accessing African consumers? Maybe the ROKs? Vietnamese? Indians? Just wild speculation on my part.

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The Indians have been competing for influence and access to Africa with China for some time now. Not to many places in West Africa where I couldn't find a Vietnamese restaurant, but I didn't see a large Vietnamese population there. A lot of Lebanese, but then again they seem to be everywhere and relatively successful.

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China is preparing to arm its stealthiest submarines with nuclear missiles that could reach the U.S., cloaking its arsenal with the invisibility needed to retaliate in the event of an enemy strike.

Fifty years after China carried out its first nuclear test, patrols by the almost impossible-to-detect JIN class submarines armed with nuclear JL–2 ballistic missiles will give President Xi Jinping greater agility to respond to an attack.

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http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-1...can-t-see.html

Moderator's Note

This thread is now rather large and it is time for a new thread, with the same title too! The new thread will be in another arena: Global Issues & Threats as China is no longer a regional power (ends).

The new thread is at:http://council.smallwarsjournal.com/...ad.php?t=21618