China's Aircraft Carrier Ends Maiden Trip: Xinhua

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BEIJING - China's first aircraft carrier has
returned to port after completing a
"smooth" set of sea trials designed to
test its capabilities, the state news
agency Xinhua reported on Aug. 15. The 990-foot ship docked in the
northeastern port of Dalian on Aug. 14
after five days of trials that have
sparked international concern about
the country's widening naval reach. The carrier tests came amid heightened
tensions over a number of maritime
territorial disputes involving China,
notably in the South China Sea, which is
believed to be rich in oil and gas and is
claimed by several countries. Dockworkers set off fireworks as the
vessel, a refitted old Soviet carrier called
the Varyag, returned to port, Xinhua
said, adding that the ship would now
undergo further work and testing. "The sea trials carried out by the aircraft
carrier on its maiden voyage went
smoothly," it said. China's People's Liberation Army - the
world's largest active military - is
extremely secretive about its defense
programs, which benefit from a huge
and expanding military budget
boosted by the nation's runaway economic growth. Earlier this year, China announced
military spending would rise 12.7
percent to 601.1 billion yuan ($91.7
billion) in 2011. In January, China revealed it was
developing its first stealth fighter jet. It
is also working on an anti-ballistic
missile capable of piercing the defenses
of even the most sturdy U.S. naval ships. Japan recently expressed concern
about what it called the "opaqueness"
of China's military budget, and the U.S.
State Department last week called on
the country to explain why it needed
an aircraft carrier. "This is part of our larger concern that
China is not as transparent as other
countries," said spokeswoman Victoria
Nuland. "It's not as transparent as the
United States about its military
acquisitions, about its military budget." Beijing only recently confirmed it was
revamping the old Soviet ship. It has
repeatedly insisted that the carrier
poses no threat to its neighbors and
will be used mainly for training and
research purposes. But a news website run by China's
defense ministry took a different stance
four days ago, stating that the carrier
should handle territorial disputes as
well.

 

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[Ben]

China has long been a suspect for having ambitions beyond its territorial waters. This is because it has been struggling very hard to secure its energy routes from Hong Kong to Port Sudan. Its sea lanes of communication (SLOC) run through the strategic choke points like Bab al Mandab, Strait of Malacca, Strait of Hormuz and Strait of Lombok as well as other strategic naval interest such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives and Somalia. These lanes are called China’s String of Pearls. This string was described as such, for the first time, in an internal communication of US DOD, titled Energy Futures in Asia. According to this report, the “String of Pearls” describes the manifestation of China’s rising geopolitical influence through efforts to increase access to ports and airfields, develop special diplomatic relationships, and modernize military forces that extend from the South China Sea through the Strait of Malacca, across the Indian Ocean, and on to the Persian Gulf.

The aircraft carrier is a precious gem in its String of Pearls. Happy cruise China...

 

[Ben]

China has long been a suspect for having ambitions beyond its territorial waters. This is because it has been struggling very hard to secure its energy routes from Hong Kong to Port Sudan. Its sea lanes of communication (SLOC) run through the strategic choke points like Bab al Mandab, Strait of Malacca, Strait of Hormuz and Strait of Lombok as well as other strategic naval interest such as Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives and Somalia. These lanes are called China’s String of Pearls. This string was described as such, for the first time, in an internal communication of US DOD, titled Energy Futures in Asia. According to this report, the “String of Pearls” describes the manifestation of China’s rising geopolitical influence through efforts to increase access to ports and airfields, develop special diplomatic relationships, and modernize military forces that extend from the South China Sea through the Strait of Malacca, across the Indian Ocean, and on to the Persian Gulf. Was China doing something unique which no other country is doing? Read more at: National Security: A new gem in the String of Pearls….