Photo: China's Peace Ark hospital ship has been visiting countries throughout the Pacific. (Wikipedia: China Defence Blog)
Stephen Dziedzic, ABC News Online: How China, India and the US use healthcare aid to win influence in the Pacific
As a statement of soft power, a floating hospital packs a punch with a helping hand to poorer nations in need.
So much so that in the Pacific region major powers are increasingly flexing their humanitarian muscles by sending hospital ships and similar aid missions to the region.
China's 10,000-ton medical ship, the Peace Ark, has cut a broad arc through the Pacific, stopping off in Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu and Fiji and Tonga.
The raw numbers alone are impressive. According to Chinese state media, the ship has 300 beds, eight operating theatres, and can conduct 60 surgeries in a day.
Read more ....
WNU Editor: The U.S. is also using this "soft power" off the coast of Venezuela .... US hospital ship to visit Colombia amid Venezuela crisis (AFP)
