Protection of Overseas Interests

China's overseas interests are an important part of its national interests. It is important to have in place a framework that integrates political, economic, diplomatic, and military measures to protect China's overseas interests, including its citizens, entities and assets, its energy resources, and the security of strategic passageways, and protect its international image and help create a more secure world. To this end China seeks to align the protection of Chinese interests abroad with the protection of interests shared by all, and to contribute more public security goods to the international community. 

In recent years, China's overseas interests have been exposed to a diverse array of security threats, especially local conflicts and unrest. Protection of these interests has become a strategic issue that bears on the wellbeing of the people and the development of the country. China's military seeks increased international security cooperation to better protect Chinese interests abroad. Measures to this end also aim to identify and address inadequacies in overseas operations and support, and develop ocean-going naval forces, overseas supply facilities, and the military's ability to perform diversified tasks, including naval escorts, protection of strategic maritime passageways, maintaining China's maritime interests, and evacuation of Chinese nationals.  

In March 2015 when the security situation in Yemen deteriorated, China's naval frigates deployed in the region for naval escort missions successfully evacuated from Yemen's port of Aden 621 Chinese citizens and 279 foreign nationals from 15 countries, including Pakistan, Ethiopia, Singapore, Italy, Poland, Germany, Canada, the UK, India, and Japan, in a first-ever action in an overseas conflict zone. 

維護海外利益

海外利益是中國國家利益的重要組成部分。中國通過構建海外利益安全工作體系，綜合運用政治、經濟、外交、軍事等手段，保障海外本國公民、機構、資產、能源資源、戰略通道安全，維護國際形象，塑造有利國際態勢。中國維護海外利益，不追求一己私利，注重把自身利益與各國人民的共同利益統一起來，致力于為國際社會提供公共安全產品。

近年來，中國海外利益面臨多樣化安全威脅，特別是因當地戰爭或內亂而遭受威脅和損失的情況不斷發生，維護海外利益安全已凸顯為關系國計民生的重大戰略議題。中國軍隊積極推動國際安全和軍事合作，完善海外利益保護機制。著眼彌補海外行動和保障能力差距，發展遠洋力量，建設海外補給點，增強遂行多樣化軍事任務能力。實施海上護航，維護海上戰略通道安全，遂行海上維權、撤離海外中國公民等行動。2015年3月，也門安全局勢嚴重惡化，中國海軍護航編隊赴也門亞丁灣海域，首次直接靠泊交戰區域港口，安全撤離621名中國公民和279名來自巴基斯坦、埃塞俄比亞、新加坡、意大利、波蘭、德國、加拿大、英國、印度、日本等15個國家的公民。