HONG KONG (Reuters) - While the navies of the United States and its
allies rushed to the aid of the typhoon-hit Philippines, a
state-of-the-art Chinese hospital ship has stayed at home and in doing
so has become a symbol of China's tepid response to the crisis.
The decision not to deploy the 14,000-tonne "Peace Ark", one of the
newest and biggest hospital ships in the world, is one that contrasts
with a recent charm offensive across Southeast Asia by China as it seeks
to bolster ties and ease tension over the disputed South China Sea.
Even China's usually hawkish Global Times, a tabloid owned by the
People's Daily state mouthpiece, on Friday called for the Ark to sail to
the Philippines, where an international naval flotilla, headed by a
U.S. aircraft carrier strike group, is delivering food, water and
medicine.
Initially, China pledged $100,000 in aid to the Philippines after
Typhoon Haiyan roared across central islands a week ago, and a further
$100,000 through the Chinese Red Cross - figures dwarfed by
multi-million dollar donations from countries and corporations around
the world.
While tension between China and the Philippines has escalated
recently over Manila's bid for a U.N. court ruling against Beijing's
claim to much of the South China Sea, analysts and diplomats say its
paltry response to the humanitarian crisis could undermine diplomatic
gains.
The Chinese government has not ruled out more aid but foreign
analysts are puzzled by the absence of the Peace Ark, a ship tailor-made
for such emergencies.
"It is a self-inflicted wound to Chinese influence and prestige,"
said Rory Medcalf, a security analyst at Australia's Lowy Institute.
China's Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment about whether the ship would be sent to the Philippines.
Just last month, the Peace Ark returned to its Shanghai berth after
an unprecedented four-month, eight-country deployment that saw it work
with other navies and treat thousands of patients during goodwill stops.
"EFFECTIVE POSTURE"
As part of the voyage dubbed "Harmonious Mission 2013", the Ark -
with 300 hospital beds, 8 operating theaters and more than 100 medical
staff - joined a disaster relief exercise led by the Association of
Southeast Asian Nations, which includes the Philippines.
Just this week in Hawaii, U.S and Chinese troops staged their first
disaster relief exercise - another sign that China is increasingly keen
to use its expanding military muscle for humanitarian, as well as
security needs.
Over the past year, China has stepped up attempts to win over the
region, despite the tension over the South China Sea, with a flurry of
visits by President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang and economic
deals, while re-enforcing a message of "comprehensive strategic
partnership".
Medcalf said he was "astounded" that China's leaders had not used
the Peace Ark to make a major gesture to the region during the
Philippines' crisis.
Instead of a move that could have served their interests by
neutralising the Philippines diplomatically and sending the message to
the region that the United States was no longer needed, they had played
into the hands of Washington which has announced a pivot, or re-balance,
towards Asia.
"It is showing that the re-balance is still real and the presence of
American forces in the region continues to be a very effective
posture," Medcalf said.
Austin Strange, an analyst at the U.S. Naval War College's China
Maritime Studies Institute, said China's weak response contrasted with
what had been increasingly active anti-piracy and humanitarian
assistance internationally, not just in Asia.
"China immediate response to (typhoon) Haiyan is arguably regrettable from a foreign policy standpoint," Strange said.
Amid domestic debate and foreign criticism, the government announced
a further $1.64 million in aid on Thursday as Foreign Ministry
officials played down online comments urging China to give the
Philippines nothing. (Additional reporting by Megha Rajagopalan, Li Hui,
Grace Li and Ben Blanchard; Editing by James Pomfret and Robert Birsel)
source: Yahoo / Reuters
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