ID | 122551 |
Title Proper | China's aerospace power trajectory in the near seas |
Language | ENG |
Author | Kostecka, Daniel J |
Publication | 2012. |
Summary / Abstract (Note) | Air and aerospace power has been fundamental for defending China's "near seas"-encompassing the Bohai Gulf, the Yellow Sea, and the East and South China Seas-since the founding of the People's Republic.1 While air and naval operations did not play a significant role in the Chinese Civil War, which was won by the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the victorious Communist forces were threatened immediately by hostile air and naval forces from the maritime sphere. In 1949 the regime was ill equipped to defend its eleven thousand miles of coastline and more than six thousand islands against attacks and harassment from Nationalist Chinese air and naval forces occupying the large islands of Taiwan and Hainan, as well as several smaller islands, let alone protect the People's Republic of China (PRC) against the aircraft carriers of the powerful U.S. Seventh Fleet. Even before the People's Republic was officially declared in October 1949, communist leaders immediately recognized the need for strong naval and air forces; the PLA's commander, General Zhu De, stated in April 1949 that China "must build its own air forces and navy in order to boost national defense."2 |
`In' analytical Note | Naval War College Review Vol. 65, No.3; Summer 2012: p.105-121 |
Journal Source | Naval War College Review Vol. 65, No.3; Summer 2012: p.105-121 |
Key Words | China ; Airpower ; Bohai Gulf ; South China Sea ; East China Sea ; PLA ; Taiwan ; Hainan ; Nationalist Chinese Air and Naval Forces ; Aircraft Carriers ; US Seventh Fleet ; United States |