Motorcades for guests of honor

Visiting dignitaries are driven in motorcades in many countries, including the four other permanent members of the UN Security Council and most major powers. Even some small nations proudly provide motorcycle escorts for their national guests. By reviving this international practice, China is only demonstrating that it is more confident of meeting all the demands of protocol.

Besides, motorcades are a good opportunity to impress foreigners with Chinese motorcycle brands and costumes. After the motorcade was shown on TV on Oct 22, advertisements followed about the brand of the motorcycles used in the motorcade and the costumes worn by the riders. Such events create business opportunities and can bolster China's soft power.

On May 12, Turkmenistan President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedow inspected a guard of honor comprising woman military officers in front of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The move won plaudits for the People's Liberation Army. In the same way, the motorcade for Kikwete should be seen as a gesture of friendliness, not indulgence in luxury.

Of course, using motorcycle escorts to guide a foreign dignitary nowadays has security implications. With the rise of terrorism across the globe, even the minutest security details have to be taken care of to ensure the safety of visiting dignitaries, because any untoward incident could cast a shadow on country-to-country relations. In this regard, motorcycle escorts, with well-trained riders and high-performance motors, function as a strong shield for the protection of foreign guests.

Those who better understand the art of diplomacy and military know how a group of motorcyclists are selected from among thousands of excellent candidates to lead a motorcade. In the 1980s, their professionalism and performance won them the title of "soldier diplomats". Now that it has become a big global player, China could jolly well use motorcycle escorts to add to the profile of its diplomatic details.

The author is a professor of diplomatic studies at China Foreign Affairs University.