PLAN overseas deployment and excercises a list

Holy cow..... 10,000 PLA troops in Djibouti? :eek: At least make the news a little more believable with a more reasonable number. Press TV needs do better than that, it's losing credibility really fast with such a report.

I'd be SHOCKED if there is any truth to that article at all.
 

SampanViking

The Capitalist
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Sheik Djibouti? (sorry could not resist)

The offer is credible and not actually that new, with offers and discussion on this subject going back a couple of years.
The scenario is credible too and for a whole host of reasons, not simply military ones.
I do believe it is rather a matter of whether China is prepared to take the offer up.
 

JayBird

Junior Member
Sheik Djibouti? (sorry could not resist)

The offer is credible and not actually that new, with offers and discussion on this subject going back a couple of years.
The scenario is credible too and for a whole host of reasons, not simply military ones.
I do believe it is rather a matter of whether China is prepared to take the offer up.

I'm not questioning about the possibility of negotiations between China and Djibouti regarding future basing arrangements over there. As China do really needs a base over that region for replenishment of their anti piracy operations and better security and control of the oil route from Africa and the Middle-East.

But I'm have a hard time with the 10,000 PLA troops in Djibouti quote. And then with the sensationalized heading of : China to take over strategic US military base in Djibouti and puts a picture of Camp Lemonnier on the article when it got nothing to do with the location of Camp Lemonnier. The article make it sound like China is kicking the US out of Djibouti is doubious at best. It's got a feel of the Chinese are coming and China threat theme to it to Stir up controversy.
 

SampanViking

The Capitalist
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I'm not questioning about the possibility of negotiations between China and Djibouti regarding future basing arrangements over there. As China do really needs a base over that region for replenishment of their anti piracy operations and better security and control of the oil route from Africa and the Middle-East.

But I'm have a hard time with the 10,000 PLA troops in Djibouti quote. And then with the sensationalized heading of : China to take over strategic US military base in Djibouti and puts a picture of Camp Lemonnier on the article when it got nothing to do with the location of Camp Lemonnier. The article make it sound like China is kicking the US out of Djibouti is doubious at best. It's got a feel of the Chinese are coming and China threat theme to it to Stir up controversy.

I see what you mean about the tone.
Yes most likely and would you really expect anythingelse from the media?

I would not get too hooked up on the 10,000 number. It is pretty much standard for such a basing agreement to have an upper limit (and indeed a lower limit) as an integral condition. There may be other concessions and restrictions on the kind of equipment/weapons that can be there as well.

So read it as an agreement for up to 10,000 personnel. It would be highly unlikely that China would ever wish to deploy more than a fraction of that number.
 
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A.Man

Major
20th Escort Flotilla Is Going On A World Tour!
FFG 548, DDG 152 and Tanker 886 Will Visit Sudan, Egypt, Denmark, Poland, Sweden, Finland, Portugal, The United States, Cuba, Mexico, Australia, East Timor and Indonesia
074821m717wq77e7ilahwi.jpg
 

plawolf

Lieutenant General
I see what you mean about the tone.
Yes most likely and would you really expect anythingelse from the media?

I would not get too hooked up on the 10,000 number. It is pretty much standard for such a basing agreement to have an upper limit (and indeed a lower limit) as an integral condition. There may be other concessions and restrictions on the kind of equipment/weapons that can be there as well.

So read it as an agreement for up to 10,000 personnel. It would be highly unlikely that China would ever wish to deploy more than a fraction of that number.

Agree with everything you had said, except for the numbers.

While it is unlikely China would deploy the full 10,000 unless there was so major emergency, I think China will probably deploy a minimal or several thousand once they get everything up any running.

Apart from a supply base, I think China would be very keen to set up an airbase there, which would give their naval task groups some much needed air cover.

Given how much China has invested in Africa as a whole, and how long it will be before they have a deployable carrier fleet (even then I would expect the bulk of their carrier fleet to be based near home waters and not spend a massive amount of time on patrol in the Indian Ocean), a large air base in Djibouti would make a great deal of sense.

An air base would at minimal double the manpower requirement compared to just a naval base, so I'd say 3-5000 personnel as standard would not be out of the question. With facilities to support an additional 5-7000 combat troops and aircrew if a major emergency develops (which to be frank is one of the primary reasons for having said base).
 

FORBIN

Lieutenant General
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Five Chinese naval ships spotted in Bering Sea: Pentagon

WASHINGTON: The Pentagon on Wednesday (Sep 2) confirmed the presence of five Chinese naval vessels in the Bering Sea between Russia and Alaska, which US President Barack Obama is currently visiting.

It was believed to be the first time Chinese military ships have been spotted in the area and is another sign of China's global presence expanding far beyond its own shores.
"We respect the freedom of all nations to operate military vessels in international waters in accordance with international law. We are aware of the five People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships in the Bering Sea," said Commander Bill Urban, a Pentagon spokesman, confirming a story first reported by the Wall Street Journal. "This is the first time we have observed PLAN ships in the Bering Sea."

The vessels are in international waters near the Aleutians, a chain of islands that fan out from the Alaskan mainland. The boats comprise three combat ships, an amphibious ship and a replenishment vessel.

China became a permanent observer to the Arctic Council in 2013 and has shown increased interest in the region's energy reserves. The council's members are the eight Arctic states: Canada, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, Russia, Sweden and the United States.

Obama is currently in Alaska for a three-day tour of the vast state to raise awareness of the effects of climate change.

China on Thursday will assert its military might with a large parade commemorating the end of World War II. The display will feature 12,000 Chinese troops marching through Tiananmen Square alongside gleaming tanks and missiles, as fighter jets scream overhead.

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They are the majority of ships ( 5 on 7 ) of those who participated in the recent Sino-Russian exercise to Vladivostock continued their road very north.
 
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