The PLA at Home and Abroad - Strategic Studies Institute - U.S. Army

China’s 3 decades of involvement in international
organizations and a decade of increased military
spending present a double-edged sword: They offer
more options for safeguarding Chinese interests, but
raise expectations among the public at home, and policymakers
abroad. China’s leadership was undoubtedly
concerned about retaining legitimacy in the eyes
of its citizens, some of whom expressed in Internet
postings increasing frustration at governmental inability
to protect Chinese shipping. 33 Reportedly, in
mid-October, the PLAN “launched a feasibility study
of an operation ‘to send troops to Somalia on an escort
mission’,”and in mid-November, the PLA General
Staff Department initiated a related study. 34 Unusually
rapid and effective interagency coordination between
China’s Ministry of Transportation, Ministry
of Foreign Affairs, and Navy (following an initial
meeting between the first two in mid-October 2008)
succeeded in laying the groundwork for the counterpiracy
deployment; 35 these agencies and the Ministry
of Commerce reportedly held a joint symposium on
December 2. 36 Meanwhile, on November 15, 261 students
of four PLAN academies aboard the training
vessel Zheng He participated in an anti-piracy exercise
in Southeast Asia. On December 4, Major General Jin
Yinan, director of the National Defense University’s
Institute for Strategic Studies, advocated PLAN participation
to “gain experience” both in “fighting piracy”
and “carrying out ocean-going quasi-combat
missions.” 37
Although its decisionmaking process appears to
be long term and gradual, China’s State Council and
Central Military Commission (CMC) likely approved
the Aden mission in part to exercise the PLAN’s growing
naval capability. “Apart from fighting pirates, an-
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