An Assessment of the Goals, Drivers and Capabilities of China's Modernizing Navy

摘要

Considering the growth, broadening national interests and the spectacular rise in energy requirements that resulted in the import of 4.3 million bbl/d of crude oil in 2010-for China, ensuring mechanisms that guarantee energy supply to a booming domestic economy is becoming increasingly vital. Beijing recognizes a strong navy would constitute one such mechanism, and has for some time been in the process of upgrading its naval force. A strong navy would serve other interests as well. For one, it could help Beijing increase the chances of a favorable outcome in case of a conflict with Taiwan. It could also allow China to settle the numerous territorial claims in its littoral close to its ideal, with little involvement from non-claimant states. Additionally, it could allow Beijing to project power further in the Asia-Pacific. This article is an assessment of the various factors driving naval modernization in the People's Republic of China (PRC). It also details China's current naval capabilities and the recent trends in military expenditure. It will conclude by suggesting that though China's navy is being rapidly built up, it would be imprudent to assume that such modernization necessarily indicates future Chinese bellicosity; and even if hegemony were a goal for the PRC, concluding that naval aggression will be the most efficient way for Beijing to realize such ambitions would be erroneous.