China Challenges New US National Security Strategy With Visit to Jamaica

 

The United States' recently-published National Security Strategy is refreshingly clear; it seeks to enforce a “Trump Corollary” to the Monroe Doctrine (first proclaimed in 1823) and to restore American 'preeminence in the Western Hemisphere'. The Strategy does not update the definition of the Western Hemisphere, but this is generally understood to embrace North, Central and South America, plus the Caribbean. The Strategy specifically seeks a 'Western Hemisphere that remains free of hostile foreign incursions', and the United States will seek to 'deny non-Hemispheric competitors the ability to position forces or other threatening capabilities, or to own or control strategically vital assets, in our Hemisphere'. The Strategy also puts China firmly in the category of non-Hemispheric competitor.

In this context, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has sailed directly into the target area.

On December 4, the PLAN Type 920 hospital ship CNS Silk Road Ark (A867), arrived at Montego Bay in Jamaica to commence a 12-day visit, during which time she will also dock in Kingston and Falmouth to dispense medical services. From her external appearance, she is clearly equipped with excellent communications facilities. When she set sail from Quanzhou, headquarters of the South Sea Fleet, she had on board two Harbin Z-20 helicopters, variants of which have casualty evacuation and anti-submarine warfare roles.

CNS Silk Road Ark is on Exercise Mission Harmony 2025, which is unashamedly promoted as a Chinese challenge to U.S. influence through humanitarian diplomacy, and which embraces further calls in the region in Mexico, Barbados, Brazil, Peru and Chile. At the same time, the Mercy Class USNS Comfort (T-AH-20) is conducting a similar mission in the Caribbean and Latin America as part of the US Navy's Operation Continuing Promise 2025.