Fuss over navy unwarranted

Some Western media outlets continue to sensationalize news about China's navy. Now they are claiming that "China's aircraft carrier is set to sail this summer". By making such carping comments, some Western observers are trying to distort China's strategic intentions and orientation, and smear its image in the international community. Therefore, it is necessary to clarify matters and help the world better understand China.

An aircraft carrier is a mobile airbase on sea that can allow a navy to carry out various military, political and diplomatic missions across the world. World War II saw the first large-scale use of aircraft carriers, which played a decisive role when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and in the Battle of Midway between the United States Navy and Imperial Japanese Navy. Aircraft carriers have replaced battleships as the backbone of modern seafaring fleets since then. During the Cold War, carrier strike groups had become a major weaponry platform for the US and the former Soviet Union in their contention for maritime hegemony.

After the end of the Cold War, the US has been maintaining 12 carrier strike groups. And even without any increase in number, the comprehensive combat capability of one US carrier strike group is now equivalent to that of six groups during the Gulf War in the 1990s. This is because of the technological advancement of the whole combat platform, upgrade of carrier-based aircraft and promotion of the US' network-centric warfare.

Aircraft carriers are crucial for the US to maintain its global dominance. Whenever and wherever an international crisis breaks out, the first thing a US president does is to ask where his aircraft carriers are. Whenever there is a sign of disturbance in some part of the world, the US sends one or several aircraft carriers for deterrence or military operations. If possessing aircraft carriers means posing a military threat to other countries then the US should be the world's largest military threat.

Besides, no matter China has an aircraft carrier or not, its military will still lag far behind the US, which is by far the world's biggest military power.

China is a land-sea power with a very long coastline and maritime rights and interests. It thus needs a strong navy to defend itself. China has repeatedly suffered from imperialist invasions from the sea for lack of a strong navy. The People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)started from scratch after the founding of the People's Republic of China. So it's natural that it continues to grow.

In accordance with the requirements of China's offshore defense strategy, the PLAN is undergoing modernization to improve its overall combat capability, strengthen its strategic deterrence and counterattack competence, cooperate on the high seas with other navies and become capable of dealing with non-traditional threats. Thanks to frequent training and increasing supply of advanced submarines, destroyers, airplanes and large-scale logistic support vessels, the PLAN has gained substantially in overall strength.