China's Aircraft Carrier:Implications for Southeast Asia

摘要

The induction of China's first aircraft carrier by the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is no cause for overreaction by Southeast Asian governments, from the strategic and operational perspectives. Still, China's aircraft carrier programme may provide greater grounds for concern by 2020.The induction into service of China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, amidst ongoing tensions in the East and South China Seas, could not have been more coincidental. Inevitably this could provoke regional concerns in regard to whether China would use its newfound capability against competing claimants in those disputes.