By Harry Kazianis
If the PLA wants to be transparent, giving Chuck Hagel a tour of its symbolic aircraft carrier won’t cut it.
If the PLA is serious about transparency, it will have to do more than allow Chuck Hagel to tour its symbolic aircraft carrier.
At first I thought it was an April Fool’s joke–then I realized the date. Then I realized there was no reason to even get excited in the first place.
The reason for my initial excitement: U.S. Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel’s recent visit to China’s only aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. While certainly a milestone in allowing access to one of Beijing’s most prized naval acquisitions in recent times, it actually shows how far China needs to go when it comes to being more transparent in all aspects of its military (this includes its budget, procurement, strategic doctrine etc).
First, for the good part of this story. Hagel, according to various reports, was the first foreigner to go aboard the much discussed vessel, and apparently at Washington’s request.
While Flashpoints readers know the story of this vessel quite well, the visit adds another interesting historical tidbit to the former Soviet, former Ukrainian vessel. According to the DoD’s website, the tour lasted approximately two hours. It began with a briefing discussing the vessel, its various capabilities and its operating schedule. The briefing was led by the carrier group commander and the ship’s commanding officer, Capt. Zhang Zheng.
Read the full story at The Diplomat