China's second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, is being constructed and is expected to be operational by next year. (Photo : YouTube/ NewsBeat Social )
New funding is expected to be given to the People's Liberation Army Navy. The Chinese government is cognizant about the boost they need to increase their naval power amidst the of United States dominance in the high seas.
With the maritime disputes that the People Republic of China has been associated with, the necessity to project their naval power is essential to attest their dominance. However, apart from such necessity, the threat presented by the U.S. has also been highly attributed to China's desire to increase its naval capacity.
Although China enjoys a good relationship with the current administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, the PRC is still watchful on the unpredictable leadership of the U.S. president. The additional naval funding expresses Beijing's preparation of what may come as noted by an anonymous Beijing-based Asian diplomat.
However, although the funding for PLA's advancement has almost been secured, the projection of becoming a naval superpower is far from being fully realized as of today's standard. As of the current standing, China's PLA Navy significantly lags behind the United States.
"We've known this is a 15-20 year project and every year they get closer to being a blue-water navy with global aspirations. News Week quoted Xu Guangyu, a retired People's Liberation Army major general, as saying. "What you have seen this last year and what I think you will see with the new budget is that they are moving ahead with the short-term goal of being the premier naval force in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, with the mid-term goal, of extending all the way to the Indian Ocean."
China projects its might with the current steady progress of its first domestically manufactured aircraft carrier. The upcoming carrier of China will be named the "Shandong," according to Asahi. Overall, this carrier would be second to the "Liaoning," which is a remodeled Soviet carrier that went into service in 2012.
Watch here below the development on China's second aircraft carrier:
