The action blockbuster Wolf Warrior II reflects China’s promotion of development and fairer international trade rules via the Belt and Road Initiative (B&R), opines Chen Xiaochen 陈晓晨 Renmin University Chongyang Institute for Financial Studies International Studies Department director.
The movie is, he discloses, based on recent engagements in Africa
- the overall plot echoes a terrorist attack by El Mourabitoune in Mali in 2015, murdering three PRC citizens
- the shooting of a Premier was adapted from the kidnap and murder of Patrice Lumumba, Premier of the Democratic Republic of Congo in 1960
- the movie's Dr Chen commemorates Zhou Tianxiang 周天想 China Railway International Group director, killed in the Mali attack
On display, finds Chen, are six symbolic aspects of PRC engagement in Africa
- investment
- Qian Bida 钱必达, a sly businessman who invokes his PRC nationality when danger threatens, exemplifies some Chinese businessman in Africa
- investment there is growing in infrastructure, including transportation, airport, ports, bridges, telecommunications, dams and utilities
- medical assistance
- hospitals shown are modelled on the 42 Chinese medical corps and 1,200 medical professionals posted to Africa
- this medical assistance has, claims Wang Liji 王立基 National Health and Family Planning Commission Department of International Cooperation deputy director, built trust over 50 years
- on the outbreak of Ebola in early 2014, China sent over 1,000 health personnel
- 750 million RMB of medical aid were sent in four tranches
- the first P3 laboratory in Africa was set up
- overseas military operations
- a captain in the movie represents PRC naval operations overseas
- undertaking escort missions, China’s Somali fleet in has deployed 26 teams since 2008
- the PLA Support Base in Djibouti, the first of its kind, was commissioned on 1 August 2017, supplying ships in the Gulf of Aden and Somalia
- evacuation of nationals
- echoes those of PRC nationals during the uprising against Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi in 2011
- IL-776 and other aircraft were sent to Libya, rescuing 35860 people were rescued within 240 hours
- also echoes the earthquake in Nepal in 2015
- in 2015, Chinese aircraft were the first to arrive in Nepal to rescue foreigners
- missile frigate Xuzhou was dispatched to escort two merchant marines lent to Greece in 2011
- echoes those of PRC nationals during the uprising against Libya’s Muammar Gaddafi in 2011
- rallying round the flag
- a character holding up the national flag echoes rescue of staff from China State Construction Libya branch in 2011
- Wang Shouhe 王守合 China State Construction Libya branch laboratory head holds the Chinese national flag high, gathering Chinese in the crowd
- holding up flag, they pass customs singing the national anthem
- during the evacuation in Yemen, Chinese naval frigates hung up both Chinese national flag and Yemen’s flag
- PRC identity
- The line 'Don’t give up when you are in danger overseas. Remember, your great motherland has your back' strokes Chen's heartstrings: a Chinese passport may not take you everywhere in the world, but it can always take you home at the earliest time possible
BRI's reality in international affairs
- Nairobi–Mombasa railway
- built starting in 2014, commissioned 31 May 2017
- connects six east African countries: Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and South Sudan
- train speed: passenger 120 km/h, freight 80 km/h
- carrying capacity 25 million tonnes
- Addis Ababa–Djibouti railway
- is the first electrified system in East Africa, built with Chinese materials, to Chinese standards
- spans 750 km with a designed speed of 120 km/h, and total investment of some US$4 bn
- travel time on commissioning will shrink from seven days to ten hours