Violence in South Sudan Kills Two Chinese U.N. Peacekeepers [all about oil?]

Wall Street Journal ^ | 07/11/2016

[BenLurkin]

The troops were traveling to provide security at a refugee camp when their vehicle was hit, the Chinese Defense Ministry statement said.

“The Chinese military is deeply shocked by and strongly condemns the attack,” the statement said, adding condolences to the victims and their family members.

The loss of the two Chinese peacekeepers in South Sudan come after Shen Liangliang, a U.N. peacekeeper stationed in Mali, was killed in an attack on a U.N. camp on May 31 that wounded five other Chinese troops.

The three deaths, coming so close together, illustrate the increased risks faced by Chinese peacekeeping troops—particularly in volatile regions like Sudan and South Sudan—where Beijing has economic interests to defend. Under Chinese President Xi Jinping, the military has shifted from contributing noncombat personnel like engineers and medics to infantry and other combat units in part as a way to get the soldiers more experience with real-life combat situations, according to Gary Li, a military expert with consulting firm APCO Worldwide.

U.N. peacekeeping is a key area of Chinese engagement. The world’s most populous country ranks eighth in the number of police and troop contributions to U.N. peacekeeping operations, but its ranking is poised to rise following a pledge last year to build a peacekeeping standby force of 8,000 troops. Beijing has also said it would set aside part of a new $1 billion peace-and-development fund for peacekeeping missions.

...

China’s state-owned National Petroleum Corp. holds a 40% stake in a joint venture that operates in South Sudan’s vast oil fields.

[dfwgator]

China won’t take this sitting down.

[dp0622]

There are Chinese peacekeepers?

Never thought I’d see those two words together :)

[Trumpinator]

Almost all these conflicts that started in the 1990s is either in parts of the world that have Muslims living on territory that has oil and gas deposits or that straddle strategic pipeline access choke points. Bosnia, Kosovo, Chechnya, Ukraine, Sudan, Nigeria, the 'Stans, Libya, and last but not least Syria (and I am sure many more).

It seems to me the Saudis use Islamic populations in such areas to destabilize then take over oil and gas reserves or control their pipeline routes. Maybe (probably) the West (Europe) benefit from this and encourage it (like they did the Chechens, Bosnians, Kosovars, etc).

[MadMax, the Grinning Reaper]

“Chinese peacekeepers” in Chinese is “China keeps pieces” of countries.

[CorporateStepsister]

There’ll be blow-back.