China may establish Yalong Bay on Hainan island as the base of its fourth fleet, with jurisdiction over the Indian Ocean region, said David S. McDonough, research manager and senior editor at Ottowa's Conference of Defence Associations Institute in his recent article for the National Interest magazine.
As Hainan is currently under the jurisdiction of the South Sea Fleet and is quite a distance from the Indian Ocean, a prospective fourth fleet for the People's Liberation Army Navy covering the Indian Ocean region seems to be either entirely speculative or at best a hollow force existing in name only from the perspective of many analysts. However, McDonough suggested it is unwise to underestimate China's military capabilities and ambition.
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