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Viola Zhou

Sarah Zheng

China has commissioned its newest and largest naval supply ship as the country tries to beef up its capacity to protect its maritime interests.
The Type 901 replenishment vessel – which helps supply naval ships with oil, ammunition, food and water – was seen at a port in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province on Monday bearing the number 965, indicating it has been commissioned into the PLA Navy.
China formally opens first overseas naval base in Djibouti
The new supply ship has almost double the displacement tonnage of the Type 903 supply ships currently being used for escort and anti-piracy missions off Somalia.
But one analyst said bigger supply ships were no substitute for more overseas bases when it came to supporting the expanding mission of China’s naval fleets.
Beijing has been trying to build up a blue-water navy that can operate globally and support its maritime security, including rolling out its first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, last year. But it still lags behind the United States Navy.

The Type 901 ship was first seen in satellite images in September 2015 at a shipyard in Guangzhou and was launched in December that year, according to a Jane’s Defence Weekly report late last year.
Multiple hoses on both sides of the ship meant it could supply aviation fuel and refuel an aircraft carrier simultaneously, the report said.
It has a top speed of around 25 knots and a full displacement of around 40,000 to 45,000 tonnes – similar to the US Navy’s Supply-class replenishment ships, according to US news portal Global Security.
China stages high-profile naval drill off Korean peninsula
Military commentator Rear Admiral Yin Zhuo told state television in June that the Type 901 had met the standards for supporting carrier strike groups.
“[Big supply ships] are one of the core parts of a carrier group,” Yin said. “The larger their displacement is, the stronger the carrier group in long battles.”
Ni Lexiong, a Shanghai-based military expert, said the supply ship could be deployed to support warships on missions around the world.
But he said China still needed more overseas ports to strengthen the navy’s long-range capabilities.
“No matter how big the supply vessels are, they are still small compared to harbour cities,” Ni said. “The vessels can only provide support for a limited amount of time.”
What Xi Jinping’s show of military strength means for China’s neighbours
The defence ministry in a 2015 white paper vowed to shore up the navy’s capabilities in open oceans.
So far China has only one overseas naval base, which was formally opened in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa on Tuesday. That compares to the United States, which maintains dozens of naval bases abroad.


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China’s military

China commissions new naval supply ship

The Type 901 has almost double the displacement tonnage of the Type 903 supply ships used for escort and anti-piracy missions off Somalia. Photo: Handout

FILE PHOTO: China's Liaoning aircraft carrier with accompanying fleet conducts a drill in an area of South China Sea, in this undated photo taken December, 2016. REUTERS/Stringer/File photo ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. EDITORIAL USE ONLY. CHINA OUT TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

China formally opens first overseas naval base in Djibouti

Chinese military personnel set sail for Djibouti from a port in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, on July 11. Photo: Reuters

Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) salute from a ship sailing off from a military port in Zhanjiang, Guangdong province, July 11, 2017. Picture taken July 11, 2017. REUTERS/Stringer ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN CHINA.

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China

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Replenishment vessel at port in Guangdong province will provide oil, ammunition, food and water
