CHINA AND NAVAL POWER

LIAONING'S ROLE IN CHINA'S BLUE-WATER NAVY

SCMP Editorial

South China Morning Post, October 1, 2012

There is great symbolism in the nation's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. Its handing over to the People's Liberation Army Navy tells the world that China has arrived as a "big power", able and willing to protect its interests if threatened. There the significance for the vessel ends, though. While China has joined the likes of the United States, Britain, France and Russia, years will pass before it will have full capabilities. Truth be told, the craft is little more than a floating shell, devoid of the aircraft, support ships and well-trained crew that are necessary to make it effective.

But that is not to belittle the achievement. The navy is the nation's weakest military link and the carrier, bought from Ukraine and refurbished, is inspiration for the future. Modernising the military branch's hardware will be an expensive and lengthy process and the Liaoning points the way ahead. There is every need for a blue-water navy and, in the vessel, China's intentions are made plain.

China's becoming a naval power is inevitable. The energy and mineral resources it needs to thrive and the bulk of its trade are carried by ship and they need to be protected. A strong naval presence in the world's sea lanes is the best way to do that effectively. Some governments may fret, seeing the build-up as threatening, but it is a right that all the world's countries have for the sake of their national interests.

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