Coast Guard in China

I was talking to a woman I know today. Her son is, or was, a rescue swimmer in the Coast Guard on the Oregon Coast. Seems he doesn't do that anymore. Nowadays he spends more time in China. I'm wondering what the Coast Guard in doing in China, so I do a little Googling. I find a lot of stuff, but this was a kind of interesting.

Chinese workers preparing for a lifeboat davit test in Qingdao, China at Beihai Shipyard’s Davit Branch (USCG picture).

The Chinese are making lifeboats and davits for the U.S. Coast Guard. I knew we were buying consumer goods from China, but I didn't know we were buying military equipment from them as well. OK, they are not armaments, but the equipment is going on a military vessel. You know, I'm not sure I know which way is up anymore.

Update February 2017 replaced missing picture and removed dead link.