A PLA warship launches missiles during a live-ammunition military drill in the South China Sea, Hainan Province, on July 26, 2010. (Photo : www.infoseekchina.blogspot.com)
The building of the country's largest carrier base in Sanya Bay on the coast of south China's Hainan Island is expected to bolster the presence of the People Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in the disputed South China Sea, according to Kanwa Defense Review, a publication based in Canada.
According to the report, the construction of a 700-meter long dock has been finished and can accommodate two aircraft carriers or other large warships.
The structure is considered as the world's longest dock designed for aircraft carriers, which can surpass the docks at U.S. Naval Station at Norfolk and United States Fleet Activities Yokosuka, which measure 400 and 430 meters, respectively, the report said.
At a press conference on July 30, Yang Yujun, spokesperson for the Chinese defense ministry, confirmed that the construction of the carrier base has been ongoing.
Yang added that they have also built an airfield designed for carrier-based fighters, training and maintenance facilities, which is adjacent to the dock.
The Hainan dock will become China's second carrier base, in addition to the base in Qingdao on China's northeast coast.
The report said that Hainan may be destined to become the largest naval facility in East Asia, as soon as it becomes connected with the Yulin Naval Base, which has been developed for ballistic missile submarines.
According to Admiral Li Jie of the PLA Navy, as quoted in the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, China is thinking of making further expansion of the Sanya Naval Base in the future.
At present, the carrier base can only accommodate two aircraft carriers, and by making further expansion, other types of warships to be deployed to the southern coast can be accommodated.
Li said that the addition of more docks would allow ships to form a South Sea Fleet carrier battle group.
