Survivors of Typhoon Haiyan do their laundry at a well next to a ship that washed ashore. (Edgar Su/Reuters)
 

China's weak response in Philippine crisis

China's decision not to deploy its "Peace Ark" could spark more tension between the two countries. Foreign analysts puzzled 

No sign of help for Philippines from China's hospital ship

By Greg Torode | Reuters – Fri, Nov 15, 2013
By Greg Torode
HONG KONG (Reuters) - While the navies of the United States and its allies rushed to the aid of the typhoon-hit Philippines, a state-of-the-art Chinese hospital ship has stayed at home and in doing so has become a symbol of China's tepid response to the crisis.
The decision not to deploy the 14,000-tonne "Peace Ark", one of the newest and biggest hospital ships in the world, is one that contrasts with a recent charm offensive across Southeast Asia by China as it seeks to bolster ties and ease tension over the disputed South China Sea.
Even China's usually hawkish Global Times, a tabloid owned by the People's Daily state mouthpiece, on Friday called for the Ark to sail to the Philippines, where an international naval flotilla, headed by a U.S. aircraft carrier strike group, is delivering food, water and medicine.
Initially, China pledged $100,000 in aid to the Philippines after Typhoon Haiyan roared across central islands a week ago, and a further $100,000 through the Chinese Red Cross - figures dwarfed by multi-million dollar donations from countries and corporations around the world.
While tension between China and the Philippines has escalated recently over Manila's bid for a U.N. court ruling against Beijing's claim to much of the South China Sea, analysts and diplomats say its paltry response to the humanitarian crisis could undermine diplomatic gains.
The Chinese government has not ruled out more aid but foreign analysts are puzzled by the absence of the Peace Ark, a ship tailor-made for such emergencies.
"It is a self-inflicted wound to Chinese influence and prestige," said Rory Medcalf, a security analyst at Australia's Lowy Institute.
China's Defence Ministry did not respond to a request for comment about whether the ship would be sent to the Philippines.
Just last month, the Peace Ark returned to its Shanghai berth after an unprecedented four-month, eight-country deployment that saw it work with other navies and treat thousands of patients during goodwill stops.
"EFFECTIVE POSTURE"
As part of the voyage dubbed "Harmonious Mission 2013", the Ark - with 300 hospital beds, 8 operating theaters and more than 100 medical staff - joined a disaster relief exercise led by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, which includes the Philippines.
Just this week in Hawaii, U.S and Chinese troops staged their first disaster relief exercise - another sign that China is increasingly keen to use its expanding military muscle for humanitarian, as well as security needs.
Over the past year, China has stepped up attempts to win over the region, despite the tension over the South China Sea, with a flurry of visits by President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang and economic deals, while re-enforcing a message of "comprehensive strategic partnership".
Medcalf said he was "astounded" that China's leaders had not used the Peace Ark to make a major gesture to the region during the Philippines' crisis.
Instead of a move that could have served their interests by neutralising the Philippines diplomatically and sending the message to the region that the United States was no longer needed, they had played into the hands of Washington which has announced a pivot, or re-balance, towards Asia.
"It is showing that the re-balance is still real and the presence of American forces in the region continues to be a very effective posture," Medcalf said.
Austin Strange, an analyst at the U.S. Naval War College's China Maritime Studies Institute, said China's weak response contrasted with what had been increasingly active anti-piracy and humanitarian assistance internationally, not just in Asia.
"China immediate response to (typhoon) Haiyan is arguably regrettable from a foreign policy standpoint," Strange said.
Amid domestic debate and foreign criticism, the government announced a further $1.64 million in aid on Thursday as Foreign Ministry officials played down online comments urging China to give the Philippines nothing. (Additional reporting by Megha Rajagopalan, Li Hui, Grace Li and Ben Blanchard; Editing by James Pomfret and Robert Birsel)

end quote from:

China's weak response in Philippine crisis

Warfare doesn't have to be violent in any way, it can be done through economic means, or by the devaluation of a currency or in many other ways. In a way all countries on earth are in a war for resources all the time here on earth. And usually those with the most money per capita win or those who choose to do as China does now. The real problem with this is good will between countries that do this and all others tends to lessen or end when this happens from any country towards others.

So, whether countries are violent or not towards other nations the way they treat other nations is always watched internationally ongoing by all nations and as well as by many individuals around the world in all nations.

For example, it is to the advantage of the free world to have Philippines a strong nation with a strong people as they are a buffer between other nations and China's future actions.

What really large nations like China, India, the United States and Russia to name the physically largest economic powers actually do on earth both inside and outside their countries it affects everyone worldwide to a greater or lesser degree from all these actions. So, for smaller nations the largest ones near is sort of like the smaller nations are mice sleeping with elephants. If one of the elephants even has a bad dream and rolls around in it's sleep because of it smaller nations(like mice) can be smothered or worse and be no more.

However, at a certain point you also have to go beyond nations to the European Union, NATO and other alliances worldwide as well.

Even the United States in some ways is like the European Union to some degree sort of like the 50 states are individual united countries under the same banner and constitution which has worked out quite well for the 50 states through World War I and World War II to today.

Up to now the checks and balances within our system have worked well enough to keep our government intact and the people more or less covered throughout any difficulties so far.

Hopefully, the checks and balances continue to work well enough on into the future so the United States of America will still be around 100 to 500 years from now and further.