Hell no, China is just spreading its tentacles, in more subtle ways than America's latest ventures. China doesn't want outright aggression, it would be too harmful for her, this way she can spread to areas where Western influence is low or hated.
Also, this allows China to surround India, if China becomes good friends with African nations with access to the Indian ocean, she effectively surrounds India, as China is already Pakistan's largest military supplier.

- where spreading it's tentacles = soft power/influence. I'm mostly agreeing with you, but didn't have the same detail or bias...

@ora: soft power is when a nation you likes does it. spreading tentacles is when a nation you don't like does the same thing

It's obvious what this is. China gets a large amount of its oil from Sudan. Early next year, South Sudan will have a referendum on independence in which it is is almost certain to split off from Sudan. This visit to Kenya is a way for the Chinese to hedge their bets and improve relations with Kenya so South Sudanese oil will keep on coming, but this time through Mombasa rather than Port Sudan. It's part of the larger String of Pearls strategy which largeham was hinting at.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/String_of_Pearls_%28China%29
I know its Wikipedia, but you couldn't ask for a better sourced article. Go to the links at the bottom.

The ideal that China is some gentle giant is just the image it wants to project. That is till it's economy and it's military have matured. The ideal that some have that the world will be better off with China in ascendancy and West and US specifically in decline is foolery.

Thanks for the String of Pearls reference Invictus. That's a worthwhile piece of reading.

The use of 'soft power' is always just a way of increasing your countries influence (can i refer you to Running your nation 101) China currently sees it as more useful, for itself and it's global public perception, to avoid using force to get at it's oil.

So yeah, this looks like it's doing a better job than the US currently does in oil rich regions. (re: supressing Islamic revolution, supporting Dictators to buy their oil, invading Iraq) I'm sure when China no longer feels as threatened/weak it will flex it's muscles more, but at present there is no reason to think this gesture isn't sincere.

As to what positive effect it has, i'm still open to questioning the effectiveness of development aid; but the PR effect in the region is likely to be pretty good.

Does anyone have a link to a Kenyan news article/translation about this boat?

try http://www.nation.co.ke/News/regional/Thousands%20get%20free%20health%20care%20in%20floating%20hospital%20/-/1070/1034288/-/13ybtnv/-/index.html