BEIJING: Min Jiangtao, a 34-year-old junior officer in China’s navy, has witnessed the launch of all three of China’s aircraft carriers: the Liaoning, the Shandong and the Fujian. However, about seven decades ago, then-naval commander Xiao Jinguang had to take a fishing boat to inspect Liugong Island, about 2.1 nautical miles from the coast of China’s Shandong Province. Over the decades, the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy has undergone steady development, growing into a strategic force consisting of five services, armed with both nuclear and conventional weapons. Such has been the progress as the PLA Navy celebrates the 75th anniversary of its founding.
Poised to become a world-class naval force, the PLA Navy is determined to equip itself with the capabilities to fulfill its missions and tasks in the new era and contribute more to maintaining peace in the world.
The PLA Navy’s weaponry and equipment development has come a long way. In the early days of the navy, the total tonnage of its vessels was just a few thousand tonnes, which was less than a single destroyer in the navy of a major power.
The 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in 2012 marked the start of a “golden period” for the navy’s development. The achievements included the launch of the first amphibious assault ship independently developed by China in September 2019 and the commissioning of the new 10,000-tonne destroyer, Nanchang, in January 2020.
In June 2022, the first ejection aircraft carrier independently designed and built by China, the Fujian, was launched and named.
The Chinese Navy owes its development to peace and goes beyond the national borders to help foster it. The Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, a commerce and trade hub in east China’s Zhejiang Province, has witnessed the Chinese naval hospital ship Peace Ark’s many departures on its various humanitarian missions.
Since its commissioning in 2008, the ship has offered medical services to more than 290,000 patients from 45 countries and regions.
As the country’s main maritime force, the PLA Navy plays an active role in maritime public affairs, maintaining maritime peace, tranquility and order while continuously providing public security products for the international community.
In April 2023, the Chinese navy participated in the evacuation of Chinese nationals from Sudan following the outbreak of armed conflict in the country. –The Daily Mail-CGTN news exchange item
