From a reader on the left coast: “I couldn’t stop laughing after reading
this sentence in the article you cited: ‘Through this joint exercise, we
hope to learn the French navy’s combat training experience and combat
thought,’ [Chinese naval captain] Ju was quoted as saying. Oh yes, the
French navy has a rich tradition of ‘combat thought.’ In most wars, when
they weren’t being blockaded in port by the British, they were captured by
their opponents and used against their allies.
“The one high water mark of French naval history was its victory over the
British fleet in the Chesapeake Bay in 1781, which helped the Americans to
win
the battle of Yorktown, and ultimately the Revolutionary War. The French
navy has been ineffectual ever since, even more so than their land army,
which at least scored some impressive victories under Napoleon.”