US Navy much more powerful than Chinese Navy: AFP

[Ruag]

US navy still eclipses China's expanded fleet

BEIJING — China's navy has hundreds of vessels at its disposal, among them nuclear submarines and an aircraft carrier, but it still does not come close to the huge naval firepower wielded by the United States.

Chinese President Hu Jintao called Tuesday for the country's navy to "make extended preparations for military combat", further fuelling fears over Beijing's ambitions in the highly strategic maritime area that surrounds it.

The United States, which recently reasserted its role as a Pacific power and said it will post troops in Australia, responded by saying China had the right to develop its military capabilities, but should do so "transparently".

China maintains a high level of secrecy around its People's Liberation Army, the largest armed force in the world with an estimated 2.3 million troops.

Around 300,000 of those are thought to serve in the navy, which comprises three fleets and has around 30 large missile destroyers, half a dozen nuclear-powered attack submarines and a small number of nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines.

This year it unveiled its first aircraft carrier, a 300-metre-long (990-foot) former Soviet naval vessel that had its first sea trial on August 10.

By contrast, India -- another major military power in the region -- has around 132 warships, including an aircraft carrier, and 16 submarines, one of which is a nuclear submarine undergoing sea trials.

Earlier this year, the Pentagon warned that the PLA -- still primarily a land force -- was increasingly focused on its naval power and had invested in high-tech weaponry that would extend its reach in the Pacific and beyond.

Nevertheless, experts say China's naval capability pales in comparison with America's huge and technically highly sophisticated maritime force.

The US Pacific fleet is the country's largest, with 79 ships and submarines off America's west coast, 29 in Hawaii, 19 in Japan and four in the Pacific territory of Guam.

Six of America's 11 aircraft carriers have their base in the Pacific, including the USS George Washington, which is docked at the Yokosuka naval base in Japan. At any given point, there are around 50 US naval ships in the west Pacific.

America's huge naval operations combined with its geopolitical alliances in the region have enabled it to contain China within what is known as a "brown water navy".

Hemmed in by an arc of powerful rivals in South Korea, Japan and Taiwan, China suffers from severely limited access to the oceans that surround it.

"The Chinese are also acutely aware of US military capabilities, as demonstrated in combat actions every year since 1991, and the gap between their capabilities and those of the US and its allies," said Dennis Blasko, a Chinese military expert with the Washington-based Jamestown Foundation think tank.

"The Chinese are conducting their modernisation process with no recent combat experience, no experience in fighting the kind of informationised war they are preparing to fight."

AFP: US navy still eclipses China's expanded fleet

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China's influence in the region is rivaled by most of its neighbors, including Japan, S Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and India. This factor probably undermines China's naval ambitions, while posing a huge opportunity for the United States to gain more influence in Asia.

The point remains that these Asian nations are more comfortable with American naval presence in neighboring waters, rather than Chinese naval influence (despite China being a fellow Asian nation).

These are sad times for those claimed that 21st century would be the "Asian century". China's aggressive foreign policy is polarizing Asian nations more and more, while the Western nations take advantage of it.

 

[Fantasy]

US navy still eclipses China's expanded fleet



AFP: US navy still eclipses China's expanded fleet

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China's influence in the region is rivaled by most of its neighbors, including Japan, S Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and India. This factor probably undermines China's naval ambitions, while posing a huge opportunity for the United States to gain more influence in Asia.

The point remains that these Asian nations are more comfortable with American naval presence in neighboring waters, rather than Chinese naval influence (despite China being a fellow Asian nation).

These are sad times for those claimed that 21st century would be the "Asian century". China's aggressive foreign policy is polarizing Asian nations more and more, while the Western nations take advantage of it.

aggressive? no there is nothing aggressive about defending your borders, and claiming historical sea routes as your exclusive EEZ. Those have been Chinese claims when they had a weak navy 20 years ago, up to today when they have a strong navy, nothing have changed. Chinese deterrent have never been based on Naval power but rather unconventional means like missiles and submarines, today China is advancing her blue water navy within her rights and sovereignty and if that causes other nations to want to hedge their bet so be it, it's not like these nations are going to sell their sovereignty and their people off to the USA just because they are afraid of Chinese naval build-up. what difference does 11 aircraft carrier make to 1 aircraft carrier make? One country is trying to maintain it's empire from falling apart, while another country is merely enhancing it's defense posture, have jurisdiction over it's sovereignty and core interest that does not involve running an empire or preparing to invade another country? if anything it goes to show China's military buildup is defensive in nature and in line with her economic growth.

 

[FairAndUnbiased]

Nothing aggressive about enforcing claims from 1930's that were accepted at the time.

The US is not going to risk its Pacific Fleet in attacking China, and China will not attack the US first.

 

[SOHEIL]

US needs aircraft carriers because of:

Colonialism

 

[untitled]

Was their any doubt that which Navy was stronger ?

 

[Abingdonboy]

No, really- I guess you really do learn something new everyday!



Waste of bandwidth IMO.

 

[Drawn_Sword_of_God]

when the US has gotten their heads stuck up others ***** of course they need so many