China's Army Will Come to the U.S. For the First Time

For the first time in the history of the United States, the People’s Republic of China will have troops on the ground on American soil. OK, clean up the coffee you just spit up and continue reading.

From Nov. 12-14, there will be Chinese soldiers in Hawaii to help simulate the necessary relief that would be given to a “fictional” third world country in the event of an earthquake or some other natural disaster.

This must be the first time that the Chinese army has set foot on this continent in the history of the world, let alone the States. I mean, let’s see, they were isolated for most of their existence and Christopher Columbus wasn’t Chinese so, I mean, one would have to assume they have never been here. Man, they are going to be blown away by all the iPods we have. What’s that? Oh, they make most of them for a fraction of a penny? OK, hide the iPods and bring out Michael Jordan — that should do the trick.

Although there have been allegations of Chinese military hacking and China’s territorial disputes with U.S. allies, Admiral Samuel Locklear, Commander of the U.S. Pacific Command, said it will be a good opportunity for the U.S. and China to familiarize themselves with one another:

“These types of exercises give us a good place to start and to kind of get into the rhythm of understanding and trusting each other,” Locklear said. “I think it’ll be a great exercise.”

Some skeptics believe that China is making the effort to reach out to the United States as a way of seeing how they measure up. If you are one of the people worried that China’s simulation of aiding a disaster area is some ploy to attack when we are most vulnerable, know this:

China commissioned their first aircraft carrier this past year and the U.S. defense budget is five times that of the People’s Republic.

In all likelihood, China is embracing their new role as a global economic super power, which is more than capable of spreading a lot of aid. China will also take part, for the first time, in the international naval exercise involving militaries from across the Pacific Rim known as RIMPAC in 2014.