ANNUAL REPORT

dkrause on DSKHT7XVN1PROD with USCC
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peacekeeping mission in South Sudan, 241 where violence has
threatened the civilian population of the country, as well as Chinese
investments in oil production and the physical safety of Chinese
workers. 242 In 2014, China successfully lobbied the other
members of UN Security Council to support a resolution directing
peacekeepers in South Sudan to guard oil facilities, in addition to
conducting other peacekeeping duties (China is the largest investor
in South Sudan’s oil sector). 243 Two Chinese peacekeepers were
killed in July 2016 amid violence between rival factions in the
country. 244 As of August 2016, roughly 2,200 Chinese peacekeepers
were active in South Sudan and five other African countries: Côte
d’Ivoire, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Liberia, Mali, and
Sudan, as well as Western Sahara. 245
Overseas Humanitarian Assistance/Disaster Relief Operations
According to DOD, the PLA’s ability to perform overseas humanitarian
assistance and disaster relief (HA/DR) operations is ‘‘modest
but growing’’ as it gains more experience operating far from China,
and China’s growing HA/DR capabilities ‘‘will increase [its] options
for military influence to press its diplomatic agenda, advance regional
and international interests, and resolve disputes in its
favor.’’ 246 Moreover, in testimony before the Commission, Georgetown
University professor Oriana Skylar Mastro suggested China’s
HA/DR operations could ‘‘provide a legitimate and nonthreatening
rationale for the development of power projection capabilities.’’ 247
Recent developments regarding Chinese HA/DR include the following:
• In May 2016, China conducted a search and rescue exercise in
the Pearl River Delta in Guangdong Province involving 35 vessels
and more than 1,300 personnel, the ‘‘largest exercise of its
kind’’ China has organized. 248
• In May 2016, a Chinese official announced China will build a
base station—apparently to include port facilities—for a search
and rescue ship in the Spratly Islands in the South China Sea.
According to a China Daily report, the ship will be equipped
with advanced rescue facilities, and ‘‘might carry [unmanned
aerial vehicles] and underwater robots.’’ The ship reportedly
will assist fishing boats and other vessels in distress. 249
• In April 2016, Chinese search and rescue vessel Dong Hai Jiu
101 joined an international search effort for Malaysia Airlines
flight MH370. 250 Most of the passengers on MH370 were Chinese
nationals. 251
• In December 2015, approximately 200 Chinese and U.S. Army
troops conducted a joint HA/DR drill in Washington State. 252
• The PLA deployed more than 1,000 personnel to contribute to
HA/DR in Nepal following a catastrophic earthquake in April
2015. 253 The Nepal mission was China’s largest-ever overseas
HA/DR operation. 254
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