Red Crosses, Blue Water: Hospital Ships and China's Expanding Naval Presence
Abstract
On the morning of October 13, 2010, a gleaming white ship emblazoned with red crosses -- a hospital ship -- sailed into Mombasa, Kenya's largest and busiest seaport. Kenya was one of four African countries that the ship visited in the course of Harmonious Mission 2010, the largest single exercise of naval medical diplomacy in the history of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA). In Kenya alone, the ship's crew treated nearly 2,700 patients over the course of five days, and performed 16 major operations. They also provided training for Kenyan health care providers and donated supplies to local hospitals. The visit was very well received. At the time of its African voyage, the "Peace Ark" had been in service with the PLA Navy (PLAN) for about two years, but its deployment was the culmination of more than three decades of evolution in China's naval medical logistics. This process began in a different China, one for which global maritime power was not yet a major consideration. This paper traces the development of China's hospital ships since the 1970s, culminating with the missions of China's premier hospital ship, the "Peace Ark." It then explores the ways in which Chinese hospital ships are being used, and how they might be deployed in the future. Finally, it addresses the implications of China's use of hospital ships for the country's expanding maritime hard and soft power. To complete these tasks, the study draws heavily on Chinese open-source media, including military affairs journals and newspapers.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 01, 2011
- Accession Number
- ADA552566
Entities
People
- Peter W. Mackenzie
Organizations
- Center for Naval Analyses