[LINK] "China makes its debut as a world sea power"

[rfmcdonald]

The Globe and Mail is one of many, many news outlets to report on the People's Liberation Army Navy's emergence as a bluewater naval power.

At dawn Thursday, a long row of grey-hulled warships will sail past this port city, making an unprecedented display of China's growing naval might and a statement about its new willingness to use it around the world. Officially, Thursday's fleet review here marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of the People's Liberation Army Navy, which was born in 1949, when a unit of nine warships defected from the Kuomintang to join the Communists.

But the display of force, which is to include the first public showing of China's nuclear submarine fleet, will also serve notice that the country has arrived as a global naval power. It's a moment of obvious pride for this nation of 1.3 billion people, and one of quiet concern for some of its neighbours. Beijing also has recently confirmed that it is moving toward developing its first aircraft carrier, though that milestone is likely several years away.

"The People's Liberation Army Navy has become a sea power with complete armed services equipped with both nuclear and conventional weapons," Admiral Wu Shengli, the head of the Chinese Navy, told naval chiefs from 29 countries who converged on Qingdao this week for the anniversary celebration.

Noting that Chinese warships are taking part in international anti-piracy operations off the coast of Somalia, the modern Chinese fleet's first operation outside the Pacific, he said that China is ready to assume its international obligations "as a responsible big country" and seeks "a harmonious ocean."

In remarks that seemed aimed at assuaging the concerns of rivals such as the United States, and smaller neighbours like Japan and South Korea, Adm. Wu told the admirals that their navies needed to "trust each other rather than indulging unfounded suspicions, learn from each other rather than insidiously ostracizing each other, respect each other rather than claiming superiority over each other."

This fits with the Chinese foreign policy doctrine of "China's peaceful rise", emphasizing China's interest in working to avoid any destabilization of the international system and keeping a peaceful and prosperous world order intact.