Posted on 04/07/2011 6:47:42 AM PDT by sukhoi-30mki
70-year dream of aircraft carrier close to reality
Minnie Chan and Julian Ryall in Tokyo
Apr 7, 2011
Twenty high-resolution pictures of China's first aircraft carrier, the 67,500-tonne Varyag, appeared on the Xinhua website yesterday, with captions saying the vessel was almost finished and expected to sail this year.
It was the first time official state media reported on the nation's first aircraft carrier project as well as indicating its construction progress at a shipyard in Dalian , Liaoning .
The Xinhua report came as Japan's National Institute for Defence Studies released its annual strategic review, which said the influence of Chinese generals on military policy was declining.
It said while there had been a marked upswing in Beijing's assertiveness in the aftermath of the global financial crisis, that, too, had been toned down in recent months.
The Xinhua picture captions said refitting work on the Varyag, a Soviet-designed Admiral Kuznetsov-class carrier that China bought from Ukraine in 1998, was almost complete after more than a decade spent on reconstruction.
"A 70-year dream of an aircraft carrier that is all-Chinese will come true soon," one caption said, referring to a carrier proposal by the Kuomintang navy in the 1940s.
Citing the latest report of Canadian-based Kanwa Asian Defence Monthly, the captions confirmed the carrier would start sea trials this year after an active phased array radar system was installed on the vessel.
Andrei Chang, Kanwa's editor-in-chief, who has monitored China's carrier project for 20 years, said all the Xinhua photos of the vessel were the most recent he knew of.
"The pictures I used in the latest report of my magazine were shot in late February by our own photographer for an edition whose printing is not yet finished," he said, adding that the Xinhua photos clearly showed a month's progress since then.
"But those pictures carried by Xinhua all come from other mainland military websites, which might be taken by so-called mainland military enthusiasts."
It was at least the second time official media had quoted a source from the internet posted by military enthusiasts and overseas media to reconfirm Beijing's new weapon plans.
The first test flight of a new generation J-20 stealth fighter jet in January was another well-known example.
Chang estimated the carrier would undergo sea tests - including power system trials, harbour trials, close-range and high-sea trials - for about two years.
"After the sea trials are finished, it will also need at least eight years to test its radar and weapons systems such as the J-15, early warning planes and others on board," he said.
But China would have its first formal carrier fighting group in 10 years, after all the trials and tests were completed, he said.
"Since Varyag is a carrier for training purposes, it's possible that it will be equipped with magnetic or steam catapults instead of its originally designed ski-jump ramp take-off system," Chang said.
China's plan to develop its first aircraft carrier has been such an open secret that its seventh military white paper, issued last month, and an accompanying news conference both did not bother to mention it.
However, in December the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) revealed that Beijing put forward a plan for building aircraft carriers in its annual China Ocean Development Report in 2009.It said the State Council decided to make China a maritime superpower in 2003.
In late 2008, Beijing hinted for the first time that it was aiming to develop an aircraft carrier.
In November that year, PLA Major General Qian Lihua , director of the foreign affairs office of the Defence Ministry, told foreign media the world should not be surprised if China built an aircraft carrier.
In March 2009, Defence Minister General Liang Guanglie told his Japanese counterpart that China would not remain the only major power without an aircraft carrier forever. But the SOA report was the first official confirmation of China's carrier plans.
You need to add another node to this equation-North Korea. The US/Japan and South Korea have shown little inclination to even consider isolating the North, let alone go to war. Which pretty means that they would be even less willing to do anything about Taiwan. Would the South Koreans want to risk war with China over Taiwan knowing that the Chinese run the show in Pyongyang??
You are correct. It gets complex indeed when talking about interrelations within the Western Pacific rim.
Actually I was wrong. Japan has TWO aircraft carriers.
China isn't going to try and keep up with the US, even though, potentially, in the future, she could. Being the world's policeman is a thankless job and something the Chinese do not want to get into.
I believe they are trying to address issues not just in Tibet but the Xighurs as well.
And as far moving people to make way for the Beijing Olympics, I'll take it one step further for you. There are nearly 100,000 protests in China every years. Most of it surrounding being compensated for property being taken by corrupt government officials, etc. and for just flat out being moved against their will.
But what do propose for China? This was a poor 3rd world country transitioning into a developed nation. The airport in Beijing was built in 4 years. Something that had to be done for the Olympics. America has the luxury to have public hearings. And don't forget there were conflicts in America in the early days of practicing eminent domain. The rail roads were built very quickly using 19th century technology. And there were conflicts in the process in which, the railroads won out with the backing of the federal government.
And you're right about trains running on time. However, many Chinese would rather China continue to move forward than to stop all progress until democracy comes about. Why not continue forward until then. I'm convinced democracy will come to China someday, but in the meantime, the people's wishes are being expressed more and more every year.
And as far supporting rogue nations, the US and Europe have done that in the past as well. I mean, Saudi Arabia and the Emirates, by Western standards is a rogue nation (did you see the youtube video of the Prince in the Emmirates torture that poor Afghan worker?). And America supported Iraq early on. China's support, or rather indifference towards, rogue nations has more to do with her needing the energy resources and leaving all the human rights promotion to the US. No, its not right, but I hardly think the West has a right to point fingers.
As far as territorial disputes, well, they already have a larger military than any of its neighbors and haven't gone to war yet. Russia on the other hand, had already invaded Georgia. And ya gotta admit, if China had done what Russia did in Georgia, the global outcry (in particular from the West) would have been much much much worse. And getting back to the Tibet and the Xighurs, what if China had dropped bombs on them the way the Russians dropped bombs on Chechnya? Ya gotta admit, the world outcry would be deafening for the Chinese. Life, in many ways, is a matter of perspective.
I realize, from your perspective, I am making comparative moral comparisons. I'll be the first to admit, there are areas where the Chinese have behaved far worse (local officials have enslaved the disabled), but there are many instances when we can make a moral comparative comparison, i.e., the support or indifference to rogue nations. And those local officials who did enslave the disabled were the target of public backlash.
Click on pic for past Navair pings.
Post or FReepmail me if you wish to be enlisted in or discharged from the Navair Pinglist.
The only requirement for inclusion in the Navair Pinglist is an interest in Naval Aviation.
This is a medium to low volume pinglist.
The PLA slaughtered and destroyed Tibetans and their culture in a way which would make Stalin seem like an amateur. There are no more “legitimate complaints” (that's so People's Dailyish) since Beijing has been wise enough to resettle Han Chinese all over Tibet.
About rogue nations, when did the UK or US ever supply countries with WMD technology to tie down other democratic countries?? China has done that with Pakistan, North Korea and Iran and still continue to. China hasn't had to go to war in the past two decades because its rogue proxies keep the likes of India, Japan, South Korea and the US in check.
No one is disputing China's progress; but then Nazi Germany also made a lot of progress using a good number of criterion that you mentioned-improvement in infrastructure and national confidence.
Different players, higher stakes. Still gambling.
It wouldn’t surprise me. That said, they’ve spent a *lot* of time training. Have you seen the pics of their training school? The one that looks like a carrier?
What matters now is what is China's intentions today. Obviously, China has greater leverage today than she did durnig the Korean War, the War with India and I even with Russia. But today, China is trying to settle those disputes. She is negotiating with Vietnam high speed rail projects, negotiating with Russia pipelines projects, etc. Hardly sounds like a nation making waves does it? And regular flights between China and Taiwan are opening up. So, yes, I do believe what I am writing.
And did you miss the part about comparing China's actions today towards Tibet and the Xighurs to what Russia did with Georgia a couple years ago and with Chechnya 10 years ago? Two years ago, a mob of angry Xighurs roamed the streets with meat cleavers and hacked to death over a hundred Chinese citizens. In response, the Chinese sent in 20,000 riot police. Not tanks and bombers. Yet, the world still criticized China for it. What are they to do then?
As far as Tibet, there are more Tibetians living and working across China than actually living in Tibet. And China have been working to make ammends with Tibet, the only expectation is that they are a part of China. I talked to a person who was from a minority people group of China (it was right here in the US when I talked to him) and he readily admitted that many minority groups in China benefit something similar to affirmative action here in America.
As far as Pakistan, North Korea and Iran, keep in mind, China had helped Pakistan to help counter India and North Korea to antagonize the US. But that was in the past, and much less so today. But what advantage does China today have in helping Pakistan in antagonizing the West? And especially North Korea? What value does North Korea add to China? The reality is, China doesn't want to antagonize the West by supporting nations that are further behind than China.
As far as Iran goes, keep in mind, China wants her oil. What reason does China have to antagonize a part of the world (the West and Japan and South Korea) that has technology that she (China) wants?
The negative perception of China by the West is many times simply wrong. Take the currency issue for example. The Chinese know that a currency appreciation gives her greater buying power on the world stage and helps tackle inflation within her own country. Yet, the difference is she insists that it be done gradually so as not disrupt employment. Yet, many in the West perceive this gradual approach as foot dragging or avoiding currency appreciation altogether. But that isn't true at all.
So, yes, I do believe what I am writing.
Did you know, that right here in America, journalists practice sensationlist journalism? I saw a news program once where they reported about GM pick up trucks exploded on impact. They couldn't get their test vehicle to blow up in a crash, so they had an automatic torch to set it off. General motors studied the tape and saw a slight torch ignite and blew the lid off of the whole story. Needless to say, this embarassed the news network as they had no choice but to admit to sensationalism journalism.
And I'm sure there are pet issues, apart from China, where you could point to journalist sensationalizing a story. Well, this is true of China as well. I've talked to people who are from China who are appalled at the perception that Western media gives about China.
I even saw a journalist being arrested during the 2008 Olympics as supposed proof of China's silence of journalists. Yet, the journalist, while he was being arrested did all the talking. And the camera was rolling. The police tried to block the camera with their hands, but the filming still went on.
The media, in many ways picks and choose a topic and perspective, in large part, as a result of what the public wants to hear. There are an equal number of news sources that speak well of China, but on the FR, they would be accused of either left wing commies or sell out business interests "Pandering to the Chicoms".
Ha!
Not many are going to get that, but I did.
Slap a fresh coat of paint, find a bunch of chinese pilots willing to try and fly, much less land on/off that thing...
Yeah...Just another high-value target...
Takes at least one generation to build a half way decent Navy.
And power is being disipated. While people cannot rally for the overthrow of the government, there are, as I mentioned, nearly 100,000 protests every year, something that would have been unthinkable 30 years ago. Even the founder of Alibaba, who was interviewed by Diane sawyer said something critical of the government. And right in front of Diane Sawyer, said had he said what he said 10 years ago, he would have been arrested. Today, he is able to say what he said (today be honest, I can't remember what it was he said).
So, once again, while China is not yet a democracy, central powers don't have the control they once did and is becoming much less so. Where China still have considerable power that it once had, is the power of eminent domain. Something that most people in China still support as they see the building of infrastructure necessary and good for the long term well being of their country.
——We must bring manufacturing back to the U.S..——
Why?
To make stuff no one will buy because it is too expensive? That will bankrupt companies and destroy the economy. That is a very naive view
Like it or not, we live in a world where the economy is global
Hi yankee....haha... he right, China you good friend...We make yankee economy strong...China make many job in America...Mickey D hire now too...You go work at Mickeys...get free hamburger yum yum....make economy big....If you good, we give you ride on new China aircraft carrier...haha! Bye bye now!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.