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

21. For the importance of oil tanker security to China, see
Andrew Erickson and Gabriel Collins, “Beijing’s Energy Security
Strategy: The Significance of a Chinese State-Owned Tanker
Fleet,” Orbis, Vol. 51, No. 4, Fall 2007, pp. 665-84.
22. Beijing has acknowledged publicly that its increasingly
global interests will require a presence abroad—at least in the
commercial and humanitarian dimensions. Since China opened
up to the world in 1978, this has taken the form first of diplomacy,
development efforts, and trade, then UN Peacekeeping missions,
and now counterpiracy efforts.
23. Wu Jiao and Peng Kuang, “Sailing to Strengthen Global
Security,” China Daily, December 26, 2008, available from www.
chinadaily.com.cn/china/2008-12/26/content_7342612.htm.
24. Richard Weitz, “Operation Somalia: China’s First Expeditionary
Force?” China Security, Vol. 5, No. 1, Winter 2009, p. 37.
25. Unless otherwise specified, all MNDIO data cited are derived
from Matthew Boswell, “Media Relations in China’s Military:
The Case of the Ministry of National Defense Information
Office,” Asia Policy, No. 8, July 2009, pp. 97-120.
26. Two other PLA representatives presented conditions and
answered reporters’ questions on the PLAN’s escort mission to
the Gulf of Aden, including Rear Admiral Xiao Xinnian, Deputy
Chief of Staff, PLAN; and Senior Colonel Ma Luping, Director of
the Navy Operations Department in the General Staff Headquarters
Operations Department, PLAN. China Ministry of National
Defense News Conference, December 23, 2008, available from military.people.com.cn/GB/1076/52984/8565326.html;
www.gov.cn/xwfb/
2008-12/23/content_1185458.htm.
27. 李韬伟 (Li Taowei), “今日长缨在手—海军司令部作战部
长沈浩答本报记者问” (“Today We Hold the Long Cord in Our
Hands—Shen Hao, Director of the the director of the Operations
Department at PLAN Headquarters, Answers Our Reporter’s
Questions”), 人民海军 (People’s Navy), December 27, 2008, p. 3.
28. In response to charges that China should do more to further
collective security close to home, PLA spokesmen state that
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