With an eye on Taiwan and rivaling the US, Beijing has been expanding and modernizing its navy. Plans include new aircraft carriers, fueling speculation that the regime is already developing nuclear vessels.The threat of war hangs over the island of Taiwan. The People’s Republic of China makes no secret of its desire for reunification with the territory it considers a renegade province, if necessary even by force of arms. In presenting the annual report on the government’s actions to the National People’s Congress – Communist China’s main legislative body – Prime Minister Li Qiang reaffirmed Beijing’s determination to “resolutely promote the cause of China’s reunification”.
According to him, this is part of the regime’s “overall strategy”. The statement itself is not new. However, observers have noted the absence of the word “peaceful” after “reunification”, in contrast to the wording of reports from previous years.
Beijing points out that it sees as a potential threat the fact that the Republic of China – as Taiwan officially calls itself – receives security guarantees from the United States. Five US aircraft carriers are currently in the Pacific, according to US media reports. Recently, politicians in China have shown a predilection for talking about “peace and security on both shores”. Many experts are gradually becoming convinced that this is no longer just about the Taiwan Strait, but about the Pacific Ocean as a whole.
With the aim of really controlling the claimed waters, Beijing has significantly expanded its navy, which is still not very powerful compared to that of other powers. The southernmost point of the South China Sea is about 2,000 kilometers from the mainland. Beijing wants to extend its range of action even further. To do so, it wants more aircraft carriers.
Two in service, two more under construction
Two aircraft carriers are currently in service with the Chinese navy. The first, called the Liaoning, was named after a province where the warship was adapted. It was originally an unfinished aircraft carrier from the former Soviet Union navy.
Initially christened the Riga, it began to be built in the 1980s and, with the dissolution of the Soviet Union, was taken over by Ukraine. Its unfinished hull was bought by China in 1998 through a Macau intermediary for 20 million dollars. Initially, the businessman claimed he wanted to convert the vessel into a floating hotel and casino. In 2012, renamed the Liaoning, the aircraft carrier entered service with the Chinese Navy after being refitted and modernized.
The second aircraft carrier, named Shandong, was also named after a coastal province in China. With minor modifications, the vessel is a copy of the Liaoning produced entirely in China. Since 2019, this aircraft carrier has been sailing mainly in the South China Sea.
A third aircraft carrier, named the Fujian, is under construction at a shipyard in Shanghai. Like its two predecessors, it has conventional propulsion, but in contrast to the Soviet-rooted aircraft carriers, the Fujian has a design developed entirely in China. It is expected to enter service in 2025. Like the other two, it is powered by ordinary fuel, which limits its range of action.
But there is speculation about a fourth aircraft carrier being built alongside the Fujian. “I’m not aware of any technical difficulties with the fourth aircraft carrier,” Admiral Yuan Huazhi said indirectly about the rumors to a Hong Kong reporter backstage at the National People’s Congress.
When asked whether the aircraft carrier would already be equipped with a nuclear propulsion system, the Chinese navy’s highest-ranking political officer replied evasively: “We will inform the public in due course.” However, the new vessel is still not mentioned in the official press.
Press reports two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers
Before the start of the People’s Congress, press outlets in Hong Kong and Taiwan reported that two nuclear-powered aircraft carriers were under construction – simultaneously at two shipyards. Each would have two liquid thorium salt reactors that would generate energy through nuclear fission, according to the newspapers.
“China clearly wants to show off its strong ambition to defend its waters with a modern navy,” said Wang Feng, editor of the China Times newspaper in Taipei, Taiwan’s capital.
Admiral Yuan stays the official course: “We are building aircraft carriers, not to match the US; and certainly not to go to war with the US. We want to use them to defend our sovereignty and territorial integrity,” he said.
In contrast to some Western democracies, the government’s caucus in the National People’s Congress is not usually challenged or held to account. Critical questions are not usually asked. The government’s plans are regularly applauded and cheered by the 2,980 delegates. And in the Great Hall of the People, China’s strong ambition to become a regional military superpower is made abundantly clear.
Increased military spending
In 2024, China’s military spending is expected to increase by 7.2% compared to the previous year, reaching 215.5 billion euros (R$1.2 trillion). If the country’s economy registers growth of 5% this year, defense spending in the budget could end up accounting for 1.2% of gross domestic product (GDP). According to the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), an organization dedicated to conflict analysis, this would put China in second place in the world in terms of defence spending, just behind the US.
And this spending is reflected in the navy. Military technology has changed dramatically since the end of the Second World War, points out Charles Martin-Shields of the German Development Institute. With nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, “a modern navy no longer needs island chains as supply bases for refueling in order to control the vast Pacific”.
Currently, only the US and France officially have nuclear-powered aircraft carriers in the world.
One reason for the increase in recent military tensions in the region, experts point out, is the fact that “William” Lai Ching-te, a critic of China, will take over the presidency of Taiwan in May. “In principle, neither China nor the US are interested in a military conflict,” says Hanna Gers of the German Council on Foreign Relations. “Personally, I think economic blockades are more likely. But I also know that all possible scenarios are being discussed.”
Chinese aircraft carriers are still limited to sailing in the country’s territorial waters. But Admiral Yuan has already hinted that the Chinese navy may soon be heading for more distant destinations. “The aircraft carriers are being built for this”.
One possible test would be the current crisis in the Middle East. Since Yemen’s Houthi militias began attacking cargo ships in the Red Sea, commercial shipping has been restricted in the region.
“Trade routes through the Red Sea are of strategic importance for China’s energy supply,” points out China Times editor Wang.
However, China’s navy still doesn’t seem capable of carrying out defensive maritime security operations. But this is yet another argument in favor of improving the country’s naval forces.
*** Translated by DEFCONPress FYI Team ***