Reuters
Robert Farley, National Interest: China Is A Naval Powerhouse (But Can It Stay That Way?)
Here's what history tells us.
The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is the most visible, and possibly the most consequential, manifestation of China’s emergence as a great power. In three decades, China has turned a large, but relatively minor regional force into a fleet of global consequence.
But now that China has its navy, can it keep it? The historical record is mixed. Over the past 130 years several nations have embarked on radical schemes of fleet-building designed to elevate their positions in the international hierarchy. A distressing number of these schemes have failed, with powerful, expensive capital ships left rotting at dock or rusting at the bottom of the sea. Only one “new” naval power managed to maintain its position, and the United States Navy (USN) today represents the PLAN’s greatest obstacle.
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WNU Editor: For the moment the Chinese government is investing in the growth and modernization of the Chinese Navy, and they are following the U.S. model to accomplish. It may take a few decades to match what the U.S. currently has, and maybe even longer to become as experienced as the Americans when it comes to naval operations and warfare, but the Chinese commitment is certainly there.
