Chinese navy sees role further afield

Backgrounder: Brief history of China's
People's Liberation Army Navy

By Xinhua Writers Li Zhihui, Quan Xiaoshu, Zhu Xudong

BEIJING, April 22 (Xinhua) --
The Chinese navy is undergoing a transformation to protect the country and its
maritime rights, experts said ahead of the 60th founding anniversary of the navy on Thursday.

China's People's Liberation Army (PLA)
kicks off a grand maritime ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of its
navy at 6 p.m. Monday off the coast of the eastern city of Qingdao,China's
Shandong Province,April 20, 2009. (Xinhua/Li Xuanliang)
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The navy has been following the offshore defense
strategy in the 1980s. A long coastline and developing sea-borne trade mean
China needs to have a strong blue-water presence, said Zhuang Congyong, a
researcher with the Naval Command Academy (NCA) of the Chinese People's
Liberation Army (PLA).

"Nowadays, threats to China's maritime safety and
development include maritime terrorism, pirates, international crime and other
unconventional challenges. It is the sacred responsibility of our armed forces
to protect our sea territory and to maintain our maritime rights and interests."

The White Paper on China's National Defense in 2008
issued early this year said the navy is "developing capabilities of conducting
cooperation in distant waters and countering non-traditional security threats,
so as to push forward the overall transformation of the service."

To Liu Song, former commissar on the Yangtze frigate,
one of the first warships of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN),
the escort mission of the Chinese navy across the Indian Ocean was beyond his
imagination half a century ago as the navy was weak when it was founded 60 years
ago.

Chinese leader Mao Zedong spent four days on the
Yangtze frigate and Luoyang frigate in 1953 on his first tour of the navy."
Chairman Mao reminded us that aggression came from the sea during the Opium War
(1840-1842). He called for the building of a strong navy to combat the
imperialism aggression," Liu said.

Due to the U.S. blockade, the Korean War and
conflicts with the Soviet Union, the Chinese navy kept troops close to land from
the 1950s to the end of the 1970s under the strategy of inshore defense. Since
the 1980s, the Navy has realized a strategic transformation to offshore
defensive operations.

The White Paper says the navy comprises the
submarine, su***ce vessel, aviation, marine corps and coastal defense wings.

Wu Shengli, commander of the Navy, said it will
accelerate researching and building new-generation weapons to boost the ability
to fight in regional sea wars. Aircraft and torpedoes, long-range missiles with
high accuracy, submarines with superb invisibility and endurance and electronic
weapons and facilities are also on the Navy's agenda.

"The ability to go deep into the ocean to conduct
integrated operations is a key criterion for a strong navy. The escort operation
to the Gulf of Aden and Somali waters reflects and starts the transformation of
our military strategy," Zhuang said. "The Chinese navy will conduct more
long-distance escort missions in the future."

While stressing the navy would always be a peaceful
force committed to China's security, experts said China should pay more
attention to protecting its maritime security in the Strait of Malacca.

About 85 percent of China's imported crude oil and
half of China's commercial fleet passed through the strait, said Professor Zhang
Xiaolin with NCA.

"The Chinese navy should also protect increasing
shipping in the strait as piracy threats in Malacca are more serious than those
in Somali waters," he said.

But experts said the Somalia operation showed the
Chinese navy was still a long way from being strong enough to protect China's
expanding maritime rights and interests.

"We have problems in helicopter maintenance, logistic
supplies and telecommunications on the open sea," said Zhang Shiping, a
researcher with the PLA's Academy of Military Sciences.

He suggested more young officers and naval students
be trained through long-distance missions and exchanges with foreign
counterparts.

"We should be far-sighted in our naval development,"
he said.

Chinese navy sails onto world
stage

BEIJING, April 21 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese People's
Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) was *** final preparations for Thursday's
international fleet parade in the eastern port of Qingdao to celebrate the 60th
anniversary of its founding.

The parade will feature 21 navy ships from other
countries. Full story

China celebrates 60th anniversary of
navy

QINGDAO, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese People's Liberation
Army (PLA) kicked off a grand maritime ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of
the founding of its navy at 6 p.m. Monday off the coast of the eastern city of
Qingdao.

PLA Navy Commander Admiral Wu Shengli announced the
start of the four-day festivities, set to conclude on April 23, which would
include seminars, a sampan race and a fleet review. Full story

Navy admiral: China to develop
sophisticated marine weapon
systems

BEIJING, April 15 (Xinhua)
-- Large su***ce combat ships, supersonic cruise aircraft, high-speed
intelligent torpedoes ... These are a few sophisticated marine weapons China
plans to build.

"The Navy will move faster in researching and building
new-generation weapons to boost the ability to fight in regional sea wars under
the circumstance of information technology," Navy Commander Admiral Wu Shengli
told Xinhua in an exclusive interview-- one week ahead of the 60th anniversary
of the founding of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy.Full story

Chinese navy expands foreign
cooperation

BEIJING, April 15
(Xinhua) -- China's navy is stepping up foreign exchanges and cooperation to
cope with non-traditional security threats in oceans, Navy Commander Adm. Wu
Shengli said here Wednesday.

Since the new century, the Chinese navy has conducted 37
joint military drills with its foreign counterparts in areas including
non-proliferation of weapons of destruction, security defense of sea-land-air
channels, anti-terrorism and joint search and rescue, Wu said in an exclusive
interview with Xinhua. Full story

U.S. navy missile destroyer USS
Fitzgerald arrives in Qingdao, a port city in east China's Shandong
Province, April 19, 2009, to attend an international fleet review on April
23 to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's
Liberation Army Navy. (Xinhua Photo)
Photo
Gallery

Mexican naval soldiers stand on the
masts of their military ship upon its arrival at the Qingdao port in east
China's Shandong province, April 18, 2009. (Xinhua Photo)
Photo
Gallery