This doesn’t seem to have gotten much attention yet:
A team of 95 Chinese riot police officers has arrived in Haiti as part of a UN peacekeeping mission.
The force, which includes 13 women, is to help train Haitian police to deal with crime and mob violence which has led to 50 deaths in recent weeks.…
It is China’s first deployment for the UN in the western hemisphere.
The police, wearing black uniforms and blue helmets, went through a three-month training programme before arriving in Port-au-Prince.
“This is our country’s obligation in safeguarding world peace,” Chinese Vice Minister of Public Security Meng Hongwei told state television.
…
“China, being a responsible major country in the world, should play such a role.”
China does not have diplomatic relations with Haiti because of the latter’s support for the island of Taiwan, viewed by Beijing as an illegal breakaway state.
By the way, what’s “Tianmen Square” in Creole?
We should encourage them to annex Haiti.
Oh that’s good… a great leap forward for the U.N.
What’s next? Libya heading a UN human rights commission…oh, wait…
This is a harbinger of things to come, IMO. China’s forces are a huge untapped resource for peacekeeping.
This is a harbinger of things to come, IMO. China’s forces are a huge untapped resource for mischiefmaking.
Ralf, I didn’t see an email address for you, so I am posting this here. I thought you might find this link interesting since you have promised us some forays into foreign policy. An interesting angle.
I blogged about it here.
I’m curious what you might think.
Lex, maybe we can trade them Haiti and Cuba for Taiwan! Taiwan has some great pop singers…
Chinese under non-Chinese command are probably more willing to take risks and follow orders than from many other UN-supporting countries i can think of. Absurdities do work out OK now and again.
Matya no baka
Bill, why would they be making mischief?