I know the blog admin doesn’t want too much content on any single day, but today is special, today marks a new beginning.
By the way, to find out more, go to CDF (free registration required):
http://www.china-defense.com/smf/index.php#1
Hidden Harmonies China Blog
As China Re-Awakens, Finding New Harmonies in a Brave New World...
YinYang says
With the Japanese coast guard constantly harassing Chinese, Hong Kong, and Taiwanese fishermen in the Diaoyu Islands – with increasing aggressiveness especially in the last few years. That with America’s ‘pivot’ and joint military exercises with Japan near China’s coast, it would be impossible for the Chinese leadership to not modernize China’s military.
The Western narrative is one of China becoming more aggressive, but people should pause and think: imagine if the China and Cuba cruises up and down the U.S. east coast, even conducts military exercises within striking distance to Washington D.C.. That’s precisely what the U.S. and the Japanese did when aircraft carrier Washington was in the Yellow Sea – striking distance to Beijing.
Zack says
damn good news, and long overdue too!
China should produce more carriers and ships; perhaps even send a message to the US by performing military exercises with Cuba off the east coast!
Gu yi you zhi says
So, incapable of designing your own carrier, you have taken a heap of ex-Soviet rubbish and turned it into something you won’t be able to use in years. Meanwhile, without increasing the tactical strength of your navy, you have nonetheless managed to inspire maximum alarm in your neighbors, further undermining your strategic standing. More good would have been done turning the old girl into a casino as originally planned.
And is every “new beginning” for China just one more fusty old hand-me-down from the USSR?
no-name says
Many people are now focusing very great attention on the ex-Varyag or Liaoning as the ship is now known. For a better focus I urge HH readers to read my article at http://www.scribd.com/doc/107123448 (plus many other related articles which have encountered the censoring gauntlet erected by the masters of social media). Thanks a million HH for allowing me to publish my thoughts here.
Allen says
English CCTV interviews the captain of China’s first aircraft carrier.
Charles Liu says
Just compare the visceral reaction to the Chinese carrier over the years and India’s acquisition of carrier INS Vikramaditya, one can easily see the western media bias and excepionalism.
Ray says
@Allen
Thanks. I was surprised by his command of the English language (I admit it is my own prejudice). I guess this is the new face of the PLA, it is now having lots of future officers that are bi-lingual and have a good world view.
Ray says
@Gu yi you zhi
This is what the typical western mainstream thrash press wrote about China’s first carrier. See he shows typical racism that the Chinese cannot innovate. And to top it off he is brainwashed into believing that China’s neighbours are fearful. Basically he is spewing poison that apply to all countries that have carriers but he is too blind to see and his prejudice applied to China only.
Firstly, there is no point spending more than it is needed to acquire a training carrier. The ex-Varyaq hull is bought for only $20 million which is the price of scrap metals. If China is to build a new hull, it would cost in excess of $300 million. Secondly, Chinese industries pretty much have to design and supply everything on the ship. This includes the propulsion, aircraft , defence system etc. It is a huge project and take around a decade. It is only when all these system are ready that the rebuilding of the ship is done.
China’s defence budget is only around $100 billion, around 1/8 that of the US. If there are any off the shelf defence system available, China would adopt it. What is the point of spending money to reinvent the wheel. So it is just common sense that the J-15, the future Chinese carrier based fighter is based on the Su-33. For example, the P-51 is a failure of a fighter without the use of the Rolls Royces Merlin engine. The Soviet MiG-15 used a Rolls Royce Nene engine too. The US and Soviet didn’t bother reinventing the wheel either. Even with its enormous budget, the US will use off the shelf system whenever it is available, the US naval aviators are all trained on the T-45 Goshawk which is a British design. The AV-8 is also another copy of British design. The M68, M256, M9, M240, M249, M119, M252 etc are all foreign design incorporated into US arm service. Does this mean that the US is incapable of designing all these weapon system? But according to this moron the US is incapable of innovating!
However, China’s future defence system is definitely going to include more home grown system which cannot be met by getting an existing foreign design. For example future aircraft such as J-21, J-31(?), Y-20 etc. The western press are also spreading the rumours that new Chinese carriers are under construction but I don’t think it makes sense. IMO, new carriers will only be designed after absorbing the operational experience of the Liaoning. To see how off base the western press is, simply look up all the old articles where they parrots each other saying that the Liaoning will be called Shi Lang (described by them as a Manchu general, who in fact is a native Minanese).
“千里之行，始于足下”means exactly that. The completion of the Liaoning is simply the 1st step of a thousand mile journey. But haters simply got to hate. LOL.
Ray says
A short history of a ship named Riga.
http://tv.cntv.cn/video/C10337/20110731100044