Research and training vessel will not change defense strategy, say experts

Tucked away in a shipyard in the northeastern port of Dalian, the Varyag finds itself at the center of a storm even before it has commenced its maiden experimental voyage.

Much of that heat comes from the fact that the refurbished Varyag is an aircraft carrier that is expected to considerably enhance China's defense capabilities.

Allaying fears of sparking a naval supremacy race in the region, defense ministry officials have indicated that the vessel would be primarily used for scientific research and training purposes.

"The warship has no problem with sailing since it has been docked in the sea, and the time for its maiden experimental voyage depends on the schedule of the refit," says Defense Ministry spokesman Geng Yansheng.

Geng reiterates that the pursuit of an aircraft carrier program by China will in no way alter the navy's strategy of inshore defense.

But having an aircraft carrier is a necessity for China, say sources close to the military.

As the world's largest exporter, second-largest economy and a massive importer of energy, China has to protect its 14,000 km of island coastline and a maritime area of 4.73 million sq km, say military officials.

Coastal land makes up just 14 percent of China's landmass, but it supports over 44.7 percent of the population and generates 60 percent of GDP, says Xue Guifang, a professor of Law at the Sea Institute of the Ocean University of China in Shandong province.

Nearly nine-tenths of all global trade and two-thirds of all petroleum are transported by sea, says data from the US Navy.

China has the largest maritime landmass among all Asia-Pacific countries. Its mainland coastline is 18,000 km long, compared with Thailand's 3,219 km, India's 6,083 km and the United States' 19,924 km.

The Varyag project embodies the capability of China's defense technology and will promote the modernization of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), says Geng.

The ship will be equipped with indigenous Chinese engines, ship-borne aircraft, radar and other hardware, says Cao Weidong, a researcher with the PLA Navy's Academic Research Institute.

The carrier might carry the J-15 fighter, the JT-9 naval trainer and the Z-8 helicopter, according to postings on websites including Xinhuanet, and People's Daily and China Central Television's forums.

The ex-Soviet Varyag, had remained incomplete when the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, and was bought for $20 million (14 million euros) in 1998. Ukraine disarmed it and removed its engines before selling the vessel to China. The vessel, delivered in 2002, has been undergoing refitting work at Dalian since 2005.

China is the last permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to get an aircraft carrier. Among the other four, the US boasts 11 and the UK, France and Russia each has one in operation.

In Asia, India and Thailand each bought and commissioned an aircraft carrier - in the late 1980s and 1990s, respectively.

China Daily