China is Ready for War
China could begin testing its first aircraft carrier within this second – to 3rd week of July 2011 and is developing more advanced satellites, reports said on 12th July, adding to concerns about its expanding military clout amid disputes over the resource-rich South China Sea & West Philippines’ Sea (WPS) in Spratlys.
Beijing has ramped up defense spending over the past few years, replacing outdated equipment and unveiling a slew of cutting-edge technologies, including a prototype stealth fighter and powerful ballistic missiles.
Its first aircraft carrier, a retrofitted ship bought from Ukraine in 1998, is expected to be mainly used for training purposes, a state-run newspaper reported, but others are believed to be in the works.
It has been news that the Varyag is supposed to be launched July 1 to control over the Spratlys in the West Philippines’ Sea (WPS) by whistle blower that leaked the news from intelligence report of Japan and Korea make the sense that neighboring countries noising to call the attention of the US and it is also the reason of their recent activity in the Spratlys as a preparation for the whole take over to the western Philippines’ waters but postpone over the Philippines-US Joint Naval Exercise called CARAT recently in the Sulu Sea.
The former Soviet carrier Varyag, once destined to become a floating casino, is now part of President Hu Jintao's push to modernize the navy.
Chinese military and political sources have said Beijing could launch the carrier this year, as China marks 90 years since the founding of the ruling Communist Party. Such a launch would be a first, exploratory step towards an operational carrier fleet.
"The ... Varyag is expected to serve primarily as a training vessel for pilots and deck crews," the English-language China Daily reported.
It "will begin initial sea trials probably either late this month, in early August or later in the year," the official newspaper added. "It is uncertain when the Varyag will be made operational and where it will be based."
The paper also reported there were "rumors" that another aircraft carrier is being built in Shanghai, but it did not elaborate.
Chen Bingde, chief of the People's Liberation Army General Staff, told the United States top military chief Admiral Mike Mullen who is visiting China that the Varyag was a "very valuable for us to research these things", the China Daily said.
Analysts say that, in practical terms, it will probably take the Chinese navy years to possess a credible carrier operation in Asia's seas, which have largely been the domain of the U.S. navy since World War II (WWII).
The cost of building a medium-sized conventionally powered, 60,000-tonne carrier similar to the Russian Kuznetsov class could exceed $2 billion. China is likely to acquire at least two, sources say.
China’s Military Modernization
The carrier will add to regional concerns about China's military modernization and arms build-up.
In recent weeks, China has been flexing its muscles more aggressively in the South China Sea, where a territorial dispute with the Philippines, Vietnam and several Southeast Asian nations, including Malaysia and Brunei, has festered for years.
China is also working on a ballistic missile that could pose a serious threat to U.S. aircraft carriers, which Washington could deploy to seas around Taiwan in the event of a crisis with the self-ruled island, which China claims as its own territory.
"The missile is still undergoing experimental testing and will be used as a defensive weapon when it is successfully developed, not an offensive one," Chen was quoted as saying.
Use of such missiles would leverage China's growing prowess in developing more advanced satellites, according to a report in October's Journal of Strategic Studies, a copy of which was obtained by the Reuters.
These reconnaissance satellites would enable China to track hostile forces in real time and guide ballistic missiles, enabling Beijing to project power far beyond its shores.
"China's constellation of satellites is transitioning from the limited ability to collect general strategic information, into a new era in which it will be able to support tactical operations as they happen," the report said.
"China may already be able to match the United States' ability to image a known, stationary target and will likely surpass it in the flurry of launches planned for the next two years."
Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei reiterated China's stance that they are opposed to the militarization of space.
"We believe that space should only be used for peaceful purposes, and to benefit all of mankind," he told a regular news briefing.
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