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Andrea Chen

China has unveiled plans to expand its naval power as part of an assertive military strategy that aims to go beyond its present push for "offshore defence" to "open-seas protection".
The defence ministry released a white paper on the plans yesterday, the same day that China broke ground on construction of two lighthouses in the disputed Spratly Islands.
Beijing said the lighthouses on Huayang Reef and Chigua Reef - sites of massive reclamation works - were "to improve navigation safety in the South China Sea". The reefs are also known as the Cuarteron Reef and Johnson South Reef.

The release of the 9,000-word document comes as Beijing is embroiled in a diplomatic spat with the United States over China's extensive land reclamation in the South China Sea.
The tension has been compounded by a series of events, including a CNN report on warnings from China against US reconnaissance flights in the area, as well as US accusations that China tried to electronically jam one of its drones.
The events are expected to put China in the hot seat at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore starting on Friday, a regional security summit that Admiral Sun Jianguo , deputy chief of the People's Liberation Army's General Staff, is due to attend.
The white paper contains a veiled attack on the United States and its surveillance tactics.
"Some external countries are busy meddling in South China Sea affairs; a tiny few maintain constant close-in air and sea surveillance and reconnaissance against China," the document says.
Elaborating on the white paper yesterday, defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said the Chinese military had been issuing warnings about US renaissance planes for a long time, and he questioned the motives behind the recent reports.
Yang also said China had sovereignty over the islands and its building works were equivalent to domestic construction anywhere else in the country. But he said the structures would benefit the international community in terms of navigation and emergency rescue.

"Every day all around China, there are all kinds of construction projects being started [such as] homes, roads, bridges and new farmland," Yang said.
"From the perspective of sovereignty, China's development of construction on its islands is no different at all from all the other types of construction going on around the country that I just mentioned.
"[We] do not rule out the possibility that a certain country is looking for excuses for their further actions [in the region]," Yang said, adding that the PLA's response to the reconnaissance flights was "necessary, lawful, and professional".
The white paper said China's previous approach of giving precedence to land forces over naval power would be abandoned, and it would give higher priority to preparation for maritime conflicts.
[We] do not rule out the possibility that a certain country is looking for excuses for their further actions [in the region]
Defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun
It also said the United States' pivot back to the Asia-Pacific and Japan's attempts to overhaul its post-war military status posed threats to China.
Shanghai-based naval expert Ni Lexiong said: "The white paper aims to tell the world China has formally become a great sea power and transitioned from a traditional agricultural country to a modern commercial state, which will focus on maritime development to defend its overseas interests."
Watch: 'Go away!' US Navy spy plane in tense radio exchange with Chinese navy over South China Sea

China's air force and land forces would also be more proactive, according to the paper.
The air force will extend the range of its duties from defence to combining "defence and offence", while the army will continue to reorient from defence to "trans-theatre mobility", the document says.
The paper also underscores China's determination to continue to develop minimum nuclear power for defence purposes, adding that the Second Artillery Corps, which is in charge of its nuclear missiles, will strengthen its medium and long-range precision strike capacity.
The paper also lists four "critical security domains" - sea, space, cyberspace and nuclear forces - and highlights China's need to protect the country's overseas interests.
Additional reporting by Minnie Chan


China charts course for blue-water navy, extending reach into open seas

Naval power will take precedence over land forces, according to a new military strategy paper released yesterday. Photo: Xinhua

Defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun. Photo: AP

Security at sea is one of four main areas China's military will focus on, according to the policy document. Photo: AFP

China outlines overseas assets it will protect

The Chinese navy's vessels have previously been sent on escort missions to protect commercial tankers from pirates in the Gulf of Aden. Photo: Xinhua

Beijing lodges formal complaint over US spy plane flight in the South China Sea

Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the US should avoid irresponsible words and deeds over the South China Sea. Photo: Kyodo

Surge in China's construction in disputed waters has alarmed Pentagon, experts say

Construction takes place at Fiery Cross Reef. Photo: EPA

News

China

Diplomacy

Defence ministry lays out plans to extend its maritime reach into the open seas, shifting national military focus away from land forces


Defence ministry reveals plans to expand naval power, shifting military focus away from land forces
