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| The Lianoning, China's only Aircraft Carrier |
China must continue to develop aircraft carriers to maintain the security of its Indian Ocean routes, says People's Liberation Army hawk Yin Zhuo.
The 69-year-old rear admiral made the comments Monday, a day before the commencement of the annial "two sessions" of the National People's Congress and Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) in Beijing.
As a member of the CPPCC National Committee, China's top political advisory body, Yin said the PLA's continued development of aircraft carriers is imperative given that neighboring countries all have ongoing carrier programs in place. South Korea is still in the planning stages, though Japan already has two carriers and India will soon have three or four, he said. China on the other hand only has one, the Lianoning, commissioned in 2012.
China's seas are expansive and coupled with economic interests in distant waters, the PLA Navy's speed and power need to improve in order to catch up to those of other nations, Yin said, adding that the safety of the country's Indian Ocean routes can only be secured through more aircraft carriers.
Read the full story at Want China Times