1411

This is coolbert:

As been the headlines of some very recent blog entries:

1. "A Chinese aircraft carrier docks at Tartus to support Russian-Iranian military buildup" 

2. "Chinese warplanes to join Russian air strikes in Syria. Russia gains Iraqi air base"

THIS ALL NEEDS TO BE PLACED IN CONTEXT.

At least to my knowledge NOT since the year 1411 has the Chinese military acted in such a precipitous manner so far from home.

Chinese marines at that time [1411] going ashore on the island of Sri Lanka at the command of Admiral Zheng He. Tamil guerrilla/insurgents/rebels the opponent on that occasion. Tamil insurrectionists having provoked the Chinese and being chastised in a severe manner as appropriate!!

Chinese territorial expansionist machinations and the use of military force as a means of power projection historically over a long period [thousands of years] of time a very rare occurrence. But NOW is NOW!

That use of military power by the Chinese beyond that traditionally recognized territorial domain, contiguous or adjacent very uncommon. We are almost back in the days of the Chin Emperor [220 B.C.] or the Tang Dynasty [700 A.D]?

"Ici repose un géant endormi, laissez le dormir, car quand il s'éveillera, il étonnera le monde"

"quand la chine s'éveillera, le monde tremblera"

Those two quotations in French attributed to Napoleon. "China is a sleeping dragon and when the dragon awakes the world will tremble!"

Obey tremble-ing-ly?

coolbert.