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

than 50 kinds of 5 major categories of nonstaple foods,
such as poultry meat, vegetables, and fruits were restocked.
An advance party of representatives from the
PLAN and China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the
PRC coordinated the replenishment through Chinese
agencies in Oman including the West Asia Company
of the China Ocean Shipping (Group) Company (COS-
CO) to procure commercial products. 112
Yang Weijun, the Weishanhu commander, said the
main reason for selecting Port Salalah at that time was
to further explore and perfect commercial bulk replenishment
relying on foreign commercial ports, “so
as to accumulate experience for the PLA Navy in carrying
out oceanic logistics support during the military
operation other than war.” 113
ACCESS VERSUS BASING—CHINA’S ROLE IN
INTERNATIONAL PORTS
The possibility of China establishing military bases
overseas has long been unthinkable for at least three
reasons: (1) the limitations of China’s own military
capabilities, which have largely relegated it to a landbound
army and near-periphery air and sea operations;
(2) China’s avowed principles of nonalignment
and noninterference outside China’s territory; and (3)
sensitivity to international opinion, which has discouraged
Chinese military activity abroad. These conditions
could change over time, however, as China’s
military power projection capabilities mature to provide
greater employment options and Chinese leaders
see concrete value in deploying military forces to promote
their national interests. Domestic pressure could
also become a wild card for the decisionmaking of
China’s leadership if leaders feel pressured to take ac-
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