straits in a test of the united states and japan. and they say the libyan operation was a humanitarian mission to rescue chinese nationals working there. no doubt this is a larger expansion of chinese foreign mostly. the mission involved 91 domestic chartered flights. a dozen flights by military airplanes. 35 rented foreign chartered flights. five cargo ferries, 11 voyages by foreign passenger liners and 100 bus runs, and, of course, that 4,000-ton frigate just watching offshore. chinese state tv has been broadcasting these celebratory images for days now. beijing says it has rescued nearly 36,000 chinese nationals, all of whom were working in