China planning massive expansion of naval fleet

China on Thursday unfolded a massive naval expansion plan to give it's warships longer reach capabilities by announcing plants to build new generation of sea crafts including stealth submarines, supersonic cruise aircrafts and longer range missiles.

Proclaiming that sophisticated weapons were key to winning battles, the commander-in-chief of the Chinese navy, Admiral Wu Shengly said Beijing wanted to build futuristic weapon systems and platforms to give it capability to operate far from its shores.

"The Navy will move faster in researching and building new-generation weapons to boost the ability to fight in regional sea wars under the circumstance of information technology," the Admiral said in an interview to China daily.

Wu's comments came ahead of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the Chinese Navy, next week. The Admiral is a member of the Chinese powerful Central Military Commission, which is headed by president Hu Jintao.

China already has one of the most formidable navies in Asia, with its arsenal including a number of new generation Nuclear submarines. Beijing has also announced recently that it plans to build an indigenous aircraft carrier. 

Beijing's force projections have already rung alarm bells with neighbours like Japan and even US and Australia. Already Australian defence planners have told the government to match the Chinese build up by inducting more F-35 stealth warplanes and 18 new generation submarines.

Earlier this year, Beijing announced a 14.9 per cent hike in defence spending. The military budget for the year 2009 was raised to USD 70 billion, almost a double digit percentage increase.

Though the Chinese Naval chief did not mention aircraft carriers but a senior Chinese military official has already announced that building large combat warships would include aircraft carriers.

China has in its possession some old carriers from the Ukranain shipyards and it has announced intentions to modify and upgrade them.

The Chinese navy, Wu said should become more mobile and adept at operating in high seas. He said the new focus also included building up a marine course and training sailors for anti-terrorism activities.

China, in its first overseas deployment recently sent a naval flotilla including three destroyers to the Gulf of Aden to fight piracy.

The flotilla has so far escorted more than hundred ships off Somalian coast and Wu said these operations would continue, Xinhua reported.