Chinese Navy Out to Raise Capabilities

The Straits Times

22 May 2015

CHINA completed a much talked-about naval drill in the Mediterranean yesterday, marking the latest in a string of firsts for its maritime military exercises.

This comes after it debuted last year in the United States-led Pacific Rim military exercise, the world’s largest naval exercises. In the same year, it held its first multilateral maritime drill in coastal Qingdao, with seven warships from countries including Singapore, Malaysia and India.

These precedents highlight China’s naval ambition as well as its increasingly global perspective of security, military experts told The Straits Times.

… Therefore, the Chinese navy – which has displayed a stronger push to break new ground compared with the army and air force – has set a series of new benchmarks, noted Dr Michael Raska from the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.

“With every exercise, it tries to do something new,” he said. “Whether in terms of reach, magnitude or scope, it adds a new element to it.”

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