China's Military Power Dreaming of a Blue-Water Navy

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Yang Nak-gyu, Military Specialist Reporter] On the 24th, the 30th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Korea and China will be celebrated. During this time, China has succeeded in its economic leap and emerged as one of the two major powers (G2) alongside the United States. The same goes for military power. Recently, Nancy Pelosi, the third-ranking official in the U.S. power hierarchy and Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, visited Taiwan, which was followed by live-fire exercises. This shows China's confidence in its military strength. On the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Korea-China diplomatic relations, we analyze China's military power.

Since the 19th Party Congress in October 2017, China has strengthened control over the media, academia, and the internet, thoroughly veiling military information. This is why even global military research institutes find it difficult to grasp China's military capabilities. However, by closely observing the traditional "string of pearls" strategy that China has continued, it becomes possible to analyze future power enhancements.

In the 1980s, Liu Huaqing (劉華淸), then Commander of the Navy, proposed the "string of pearls" strategy. The "string of pearls" means creating a maritime defense boundary by linking islands with chains to absorb the entire world under operational control. China first secured sea control over the first string of pearls line connecting Okinawa, Taiwan, and the South China Sea in 2010, then expanded it to the second string of pearls line (Saipan, Guam, Indonesia) by 2020, with the goal of blocking U.S. Navy dominance in the Pacific and Indian Oceans by 2040.

To realize the string of pearls strategy, China has expanded its naval power and overseas bases. The Liaoning (55,000-ton class), China's first aircraft carrier built using modified former Soviet carrier technology in 2012, represents China's naval power. Following this, the 65,000-ton class "002" carrier, the first to apply domestic technology, was launched. Currently, the 003 carrier, Fujian, is under construction at the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai. The Fujian, with a displacement of 80,000 tons, is the first aircraft carrier designed and built entirely by China.

For China to advance into the seas led by aircraft carriers, overseas footholds are also necessary. To this end, China opened its first overseas military base in Djibouti, Africa, in 2017. Since then, China has secured exclusive piers at ports in Sri Lanka, Pakistan, the Solomon Islands, Cambodia, and even Darwin Port in Australia.

In May, Wang Yi, China's State Councilor and Foreign Minister in charge of diplomacy, visited eight countries including the Solomon Islands and neighboring nations, strategic key points in the South Pacific. China aims to sign a security agreement with the Solomon Islands that includes dispatching Chinese naval vessels to the Solomon Islands and receiving logistical support locally as needed.

Maritime training has also been greatly expanded. Earlier this year, the Liaoning carrier strike group completed its longest-ever blue-water training and returned to the East China Sea. The Liaoning carrier strike group stayed for about 20 days in the western Pacific Ocean east of Taiwan and south of Japan, conducting over 300 sorties of fighter jets and helicopters. There is also a possibility of conducting "dual carrier" training by simultaneously deploying the Shandong carrier from the Southern Theater Command and the Liaoning carrier from the Northern Theater Command. If dual carrier training is conducted, the situation could escalate beyond the level of the third Taiwan Strait crisis in 1995-1996, when multiple missiles were launched around Taiwan.

China claims that training based on aircraft carriers is part of its anti-terrorism activities abroad. In 2015, China enacted the "Anti-Terrorism Law," allowing the People's Liberation Army and armed police to conduct or participate in overseas anti-terrorism operations. The law, which came into effect the following year, also includes provisions to establish a "National Anti-Terrorism Information Center" to collect and analyze various terrorism-related information domestically and internationally, and grants public security agencies authority for monitoring and wiretapping. However, military experts analyze this as a step toward entering the final stage of a global strategy.

A military expert said, "In the future, China and Russia may strengthen joint exercises in response to Korea-U.S. combined exercises," adding, "China will check the seven rear logistics bases in Japan that support the Korea-U.S. combined defense posture, and Russia, which has territorial disputes with Japan, can share a broad strategic alignment with China."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.