China's Special Forces: Retaliating Against the Global Terror Threat

In an interview with Sputnik, Vladimir Yevseyev, deputy head of the Moscow-based Institute for CIS Studies, described a Chinese newspaper's remarks on the need to expand the role of the Chinese special forces as Beijing's effective retaliation to the rising tide of international terrorism.

Yevseyev's comments came after the PLA Daily, the Chinese military's mouthpiece, said that China's special forces should take a greater role in protecting the country's national overseas interests, including energy sources and their supply lines, as well as play a greater role in counterterrorism operations.

"The Chinese special forces may act in some Middle Eastern countries, including Syria, as well as in Afghanistan…By resolving international terrorism-related problems, China will simultaneously uphold its national interests there," Yevseyev said.

He referred to a whole array of areas in Afghanistan where China plans to extract minerals, a task which Yevseyev said will be implemented with the help of the Chinese special forces.

He was echoed by expert Pavel Kamennov of the Moscow-based Institute for Far Eastern Studies, who told Sputnik that the remarks on the Chinese special forces' due-to-be-enhanced international clout have been made for the first time and that it can be considered a preventive measure.

"As I see it, the goal is to ensure normal external conditions for the development of the Chinese economy in Libya, Sudan and the Middle Eastern countries. The Chinese economy hinges heavily on oil imports, and the extent of such dependence has already reached 60 percent. In this vein, Beijing is concerned about ensuring the safety of sources and routes of oil transportation to China," he said.

Chinese expert Yang Mian, for his part, said in an interview with Sputnik that it is too early to speak of his country's special forces acting in foreign countries.

"I want to stress that China has not yet officially announced that it will be sending its special forces to protect the country's overseas interests. The special forces are a new operational unit, and China's current actions are focused on reinforcing its potential for possible real combat operations, "Mian said.

There were few previous reports about the Chinese special forces taking part in various international operations. In addition to the Chinese commando units escorting civilian ships in the Gulf of Aden, it is only worth adding that they participated in the evacuation of Chinese citizens from civil war-hit Yemen.

However, professionalism and the potential of the Chinese commandos have already been touted by many international experts. In August 2015, the US magazine National Interest included the Chinese special forces in a top-five lists of major threats Washington should grapple with.