China does have a very long coastline to protect, and the 056 is a very capable vessel, as the current patrol craft are very old now, and in need of replacing.
Anyway, i think what members here are saying is that they dont want the 056 programme given more priority over the larger warship classes that are being built right now, but i dont think that is happening.
Like nearly everyone else, i'am really looking forward to seeing the new 055 Cruiser, as this warship is going to be one of the best warships in the world.
We know that from 2020 onwards, we should see China building much larger naval vessels such as carriers and LHD's and LPD's...............but what about Submarines, as we don't hear much about this, and the numbers of nuclear powered subs have stayed about the same. This is the one area the Chinese Navy really needs to grow.