Maritime

Hands across the water

In 2013, I participated in two cruises with the Chinese hospital ship Peace Ark, spending more than three months at sea. We embarked on humanitarian missions - providing free medical services in eight countries around Asia and helping with the relief efforts after Typhoon Haiyan tore into the Philippines late in the year.

As a reporter, I was glad to see how open, or should I say less wary, the Chinese navy is to the media. In November 2013, the force appointed its first-ever spokesman in a bid to improve transparency.

In most important missions, the navy plays host to the media and has gradually begun to approve of human interest stories, rather than stereotypical tales of brave sailors and brilliant, dedicated leaders.

It wasn't easy to get the navy to agree to an interview about the mental and physical toll taken by long weeks away from land, and the sailors' homesickness during long cruises. I was surprised, or even flattered, when they told me that they have confronted the problem and have started to fix it.

I also saw many indications that the navy is open to change and is willing to learn.

When we were in the Gulf of Aden, officers from a Dutch escort vessel visited Peace Ark by speedboat, and the 400 or so crew watched as female sailors piloted the powerful craft through the bumpy water.

Everyone was impressed by the advanced equipment and skills on display, and many expressed frustration that the boats on Peace Ark were unable to conquer bad weather as easily.

When I returned to the hospital ship a month or so after it arrived back in China, I discovered that two new speedboats had been added to its arsenal of tools, just ahead of its departure for the relief mission in the Philippines.

Every time the Peace Ark had an exchange with foreign ships, the Chinese officers tried to learn about something, including equipment, management, skills, and even the design of uniforms.

Fluency in English is a matter of great pride for the officers and crew. I even met a 56-year-old Rear Admiral who was diligently learning English so he could converse at multinational meetings without the need for an interpreter.

From the coastal waters to the deep seas, the Chinese navy is preparing to play a role on the global stage.

Further reading: Getting the Point of Chinese Medicine, published on June 25, and Finding Inner Peace on the Ocean Wave on Aug 1