China to take naval forces to another level over next decade

An assessment of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (Navy) – PLA(N) – inadvertently released by the US Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI) suggests that China will build over the next 10-15 years a naval force increasingly equipped for maritime security missions and humanitarian relief operations well beyond its traditional operating areas around Taiwan and the South China Sea.

At the same time, ONI assesses that the PLA(N) will continue to modernise its warfighting capabilities to shape a balanced maritime force commensurate with a shift from a strategy of coastal defence to a more forward-leaning naval strategy of offshore defence.

The report, entitled 'A Modern Navy with Chinese Characteristics' and dated August 2009, was briefly placed on an open source website by the ONI in November 2009 before being withdrawn from public view. However, in that time a copy of the document was downloaded by the Federation of American Scientists and remains accessible on its website.

According to the ONI, the development of the PLA(N) over the past decade goes well beyond the introduction of new equipment. Its report states: "Recognising that it takes more than technology to create a capable navy, China has also actively pursued the modernisation of its doctrine, organisation, and training with the ultimate goal of developing a professional force. While much work remains, trends in recent years indicate the PLA(N) is beginning to 'operationalise' its modern force, taking on new and more challenging missions."