CHINA'S SHOW OF NAVAL POWER CHALLENGES US

China paraded its growing naval strength yesterday, including previously unseen nuclear-powered submarines, in a military demonstration seen as a challenge to the US, the world's leading maritime nation.

To mark the 60th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army navy, a total of 52 navy vessels and aircraft were shown taking part in manoeuvres off the eastern port of Qingdao. As naval delegations from 29 countries watched, Hu Jintao, president, also reviewed 21 foreign naval vessels.

“You could call this the coming-out party of the Chinese navy,” said Bates Gill, director of the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Mr Hu sought to reassure neighbours and other countries that China would neither seek regional hegemony nor enter into an arms race. He pledged more active participation in international missions such as peacekeeping and anti-piracy moves.

China took a big step in this direction late last year by participating in a multinational anti-piracy campaign in the Gulf of Aden.

“Showing what you have can always also act as a deterrent – that's how it's seen in the US,” said Mr Gill. “When the US navy takes an aircraft carrier to Hong Kong, it also tells the Chinese, have a look, you don't want to confront this.”

China was now doing the same and telling the world that its navy was becoming a more capable force.

“As it is developing anti-ship missiles and quieter and more capable submarines, the PLA navy is moving towards the capability of denying the US navy access to certain waters in the region. First and foremost, that will make a potential US intervention over Taiwan riskier and more complicated,” Mr Gill said.

Analysts said the incident in which, according to Washington, Chinese vessels harassed a US navy survey ship in the South China Sea last month was a sign of things to come because the PLA navy's growing clout would increasingly bring it into contact with the US navy on the high seas.

David Lai, a professor at the US Army War College, said in a recent essay that China's efforts to develop its naval strength would be the most controversial part of its military expansion and modernisation.

Advocates of a strong navy “see that China has the capacity to become a global power”, he said.

That aspiration dominated China's domestic presentation of the celebrations yesterday. Xinhua, the official news agency, established a discussion forum on its website where glowing patriotism and hopes of superpower status were the most common view.

Some observers saw the presentation as a sign the Communist party wanted to show an increasingly nationalist public that it was advancing the nation's global interests and status.