Bernard D. Cole - The Great Wall at Sea: Chinas Navy in the Twenty-First Century

Naval Institute Press

291 Wood Road

Annapolis, MD 21402

2010 by Bernard D. Cole

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or utilized in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher.

Cole, Bernard D., 1943-

The Great Wall at sea: China's Navy in the twenty-first century / Bernard D. Cole.2nd ed.

p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-1-61251-163-4 1. China. Zhongguo ren min jie fang jun. Hai jun.

2. ChinaMilitary policy. I. Title.

VA633.C65 2010

359.00951dc22

2010020184

14 13 12 11 109 8 7 6 5 4 3 2

First printing

This manuscript represents the views of the author alone; it may not represent those of the National War College or any other organization of the U.S. government.

i s book has been brought to publication
with the generous assistance of Edward S. and Joyce I. Miller.

O n 14 December 2001, shortly after publication of my book on the Chinese Navy, The Great Wall at Sea: Chinas Navy Enters the Twenty-First Century, the two most senior officials in China, President Jiang Zemin and Minister of Defense General Chi Haotian, called for the building of a modern Navy with powerful, comprehensive combat capabilities to defend the countrys maritime security. Subsequent military and civilian Chinese leaders have continued this campaign to strengthen the Navy. Chinas 2008 Defense White Paper emphasizes the importance of the Navy as a strategic instrument and represents a significant step from just ten years ago, when the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) was first preparing to enter the twenty-first century; that decade has witnessed remarkable naval progress by China.