Comments on: The ghost of Zheng He… http://granitestudio.org/2008/12/26/the-ghost-of-zheng-he/ A Qing historian reads the newspaper... Sat, 02 Jul 2011 03:31:06 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: stuart http://granitestudio.org/2008/12/26/the-ghost-of-zheng-he/comment-page-1/#comment-9430 stuart Sat, 27 Dec 2008 04:41:06 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=602#comment-9430 I was too late. Black and White Cat reports that the pirates have already been harmonised: http://tiny.cc/harmony355 I was too late. Black and White Cat reports that the pirates have already been harmonised:

http://tiny.cc/harmony355

]]> By: stuart http://granitestudio.org/2008/12/26/the-ghost-of-zheng-he/comment-page-1/#comment-9427 stuart Sat, 27 Dec 2008 03:36:19 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=602#comment-9427 This is likely the tentative beginning of a far more active role that the military will begin to play in protecting China's fast increasing overseas interests. Historically speaking, I think we can call that imperialism, can't we? The spin boys at Zhongnanhai are going to have to work hard to remedy the cognitive dissonance they're feeling right now. I hope they can come up with something better than 'harmonisation of the waves'. This is likely the tentative beginning of a far more active role that the military will begin to play in protecting China’s fast increasing overseas interests.

Historically speaking, I think we can call that imperialism, can’t we?

The spin boys at Zhongnanhai are going to have to work hard to remedy the cognitive dissonance they’re feeling right now. I hope they can come up with something better than ‘harmonisation of the waves’.

]]> By: davesgonechina http://granitestudio.org/2008/12/26/the-ghost-of-zheng-he/comment-page-1/#comment-9399 davesgonechina Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:37:22 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=602#comment-9399 I was annoyed when John Pomfret blogged that it suggested a return to a Zheng He style "blue water" navy. The "blue water" part bugged me because that usually implies force projection surrounding territorial waters. A couple of destroyers joining an international Africa patrol just doesn't cut that, and I think it's a stretch to say Zheng He did anything of the kind in the Indian Ocean. He made an impression and took out some pirates, but I think at most it was a potential presence that was cut short by the Ming emperor saying "ah, screw it". http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/pomfretschina/2008/12/the_return_of_zheng_he_chinas.html I was annoyed when John Pomfret blogged that it suggested a return to a Zheng He style “blue water” navy. The “blue water” part bugged me because that usually implies force projection surrounding territorial waters. A couple of destroyers joining an international Africa patrol just doesn’t cut that, and I think it’s a stretch to say Zheng He did anything of the kind in the Indian Ocean. He made an impression and took out some pirates, but I think at most it was a potential presence that was cut short by the Ming emperor saying “ah, screw it”.

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/postglobal/pomfretschina/2008/12/the_return_of_zheng_he_chinas.html

]]> By: Joe Constanty http://granitestudio.org/2008/12/26/the-ghost-of-zheng-he/comment-page-1/#comment-9398 Joe Constanty Fri, 26 Dec 2008 11:35:21 +0000 http://granitestudio.org/?p=602#comment-9398 Having read 1421...I look forward to seeing how China retakes its naval dominance. The problem is that they are playing with the big boys now, and the US outnumbers them on some order of 20-30 times at sea. It is not a game that China wants to get itself into, especially when you listen to the continued political rhetoric from Beijing that speaks of a build up of strength with harmonious actions. The last thing on China's mind is to take the big guns out of the box and start playing. They stand to gain nothing, and only lose everything. It is lose-lose. Having read 1421…I look forward to seeing how China retakes its naval dominance. The problem is that they are playing with the big boys now, and the US outnumbers them on some order of 20-30 times at sea. It is not a game that China wants to get itself into, especially when you listen to the continued political rhetoric from Beijing that speaks of a build up of strength with harmonious actions. The last thing on China’s mind is to take the big guns out of the box and start playing. They stand to gain nothing, and only lose everything. It is lose-lose.

]]>