This is how China prepares for the reunification of Taiwan (and the confrontation with the US)
The launch of Beijing's latest aircraft carrier represents not only the imperative to watch over Taiwan, but also a significant step in the challenge between the US and China. Marco Orioles's article
With a solemn ceremony at the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai, Beijing on Friday launched its third aircraft carrier, the largest and most technologically advanced in the fleet.
Baptism
So far known only with the abbreviation of Type 003, the aircraft carrier was officially baptized Fujian, from the name of the coastal province that overlooks the Taiwan Strait.
It is the tradition of the Chinese navy to name the aircraft carriers from the territory in which they will become operational. For this reason many, and among these there is also the Chinese newspaper Global Times , have pointed out the connection between the name of the new aircraft carrier and the mission, but it would be better to say the imperative, to watch over Taiwan in view of the goal of reunification. .
In the tug-of-war with the US and its allies in the Pacific over the fate of Taiwan and then for naval supremacy in the region, Beijing can now have a formidable tool, which, as CNN specifies, will nevertheless have to pass various tests and finishing works. to become operational no earlier than the next two years.
Three electromagnetic catapults
Unlike the other two aircraft carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, Fujian is equipped like the US models – as announced by the Chinese TV itself and reported by the Guardian – with a platform of three electromagnetic catapults which, according to the military analyst Ridzwan Rahmat of the specialized site Janes , make the take-off operations of the aircraft on board faster, as well as increase the variety of aircraft to be launched and their load capacity of armaments.
The largest marina in the world
Although it cannot boast the eleven aircraft carriers of its American rival, the Chinese navy is already, as NPR points out , the largest in the world. In fact, it can count on 355 ships and submarines which, according to Washington's forecasts, will become 420 by 2030.
The launch of the Fujiang represents an important step in the challenge between the US and China to see who can show off the most sophisticated and lethal weapons.
A milestone
As Rahmat further notes, “this is an important milestone for China's military-industrial complex (…) This shows how Chinese engineers are now able to produce their own full range (of tools) associated with modern warfare. naval".
"This ability", concludes the analyst, "to build a very complex ship from scratch will inevitably lead to various spin-offs and benefits for the Chinese naval industry".
According to Global Data military analyst Sourabh Banik , China plans to invest nearly $ 37 billion in building new warships over the next decade, and the aircraft carrier program represents 34.4%. of that cake. After Fujian's launch, Banik expects Beijing to immediately build another aircraft carrier.
Goals: global strength and maritime dominance
But what is China aiming for with all this effort? “Fujian”, Banik continues to speak, “is the concrete demonstration of the continuous advancement of Beijing's military capabilities and indicates its intention to question the status quo in terms of global maritime dominance”.
“Beyond securing a dominant position among its competitors in the Asia-Pacific region, Beijing will also seek to counter the influence of the US navy in the area,” Banik concluded.
They are perfectly aware of all this in Washington, where they closely monitored the development of the former Type 003.
In a report on Chinese military capabilities broadcast to Congress last year and recalled by the NPR , the Defense Department recognized that the aircraft carrier program represents a critical juncture in the Chinese navy's evolution towards a "global force" status.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/mondo/ecco-come-la-cina-si-prepara-alla-riunificazione-di-taiwan-e-allo-scontro-con-gli-usa/ on Mon, 20 Jun 2022 06:57:35 +0000.