Editor's Note

Exactly 40 years after the 1974 Xisha Island Battle, a flotilla made up of ships from China's South China Sea Fleet set sail on January 20 from a military port in Sanya, South China’s Hainan Province, for a drill in the South China Sea, according to a CNTV report.

Fleet commander Jiang Weilie said this drill focuses on testing the combat ability of leading ships, submarines and aviation forces while exploring methods for normalized open sea drills.

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Chinese flotilla patrols Xisha Islands
A flotilla with China's Nanhai Fleet has completed a two-day patrol of waters off the Xisha Islands on January 22.

Chinese navy starts open sea drill
A flotilla with China's Nanhai Fleet on Monday set sail from a military port in South China's Hainan Province for a drill in the South China Sea, according to military sources.

Forces

Drill Briefing

Content
● The drill, part of annual military exercises, includes combat exercises in the South China Sea, the West Pacific Ocean and the East Indian Ocean.

Focus
● Fleet commander Jiang Weilie said this drill focuses on testing the combat ability of leading ships, submarines and aviation forces while exploring methods for normalized open sea drills.

● One of the buzz words surrounding this drill is "antisubmarine". According to State-run media outlets, phrases such as "submarine fleet" and "break the cordon area" are used often. This proves that the People's Liberation Army is maintaining active vigilance against those with so-called claims in the South China Sea, while demonstrating an strengthened submarine force.

Comments

The warship we sent is the top of its class in both tonnage and advancement. The amphibious landing craft Changbaishan is the largest tonnage landing craft in the Chinese navy. In addition, this drill will be conducted over a long period and large area, which will better demonstrate China’s naval strength and the determination of the Chinese navy to venture farther into the oceans.--- Li Jie, a naval expert

Source: Shenzhen TV news

Background

● 1974 Xisha Island Battle
In 1974, China took complete control of the Xisha Islands in a naval conflict with then South Vietnam. The island chain has been a traditional fishing area for Chinese for hundreds of years.

China and Vietnam are locked in long-standing territorial disputes over the Xisha Islands and the Nansha Islands.

● Xisha Islands
The Xisha Islands, known as the Paracel Islands for the West, has been a traditional fishing area of Chinese for hundreds of years. Chinese government recovered the islands in 1946 after Japanese invaders surrendered, Xinhua reported.

● Open-sea drills in 2013

January 29, 2013 – February 14, 2013
A flotilla comprised of the destroyer Qingdao and other ships from China’s North China Sea Fleet set sail for a drill in the West Pacific.

March 19, 2013-April 3, 2013
A flotilla made up of the amphibious landing craft Jinggangshan and other ships from China’s South China Sea Fleet conducted drills in the West Pacific.

May 6-21, 2013
A flotilla made up of the missile frigate ship Huaihuai and other ships from China’s East China Sea Fleet conducted drills in the West Pacific.

July 12-28, 2013
A flotilla made up of the destroyer Shenyang and other ships from China’s North China Sea Fleet conducted drills in the West Pacific.

August 26, 2013- September 10, 2013
A flotilla made up of the missile frigate ship Yiyang and other ships from China’s East China Sea Fleet conducted drills in the West Pacific.

December 19, 2013
A flotilla made up of missile frigate ship Huangshan and other ships from China’s South China Sea Fleet conducted drills in the West Pacific.

Source: chinanews.com

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Web editor: gelili@globaltimes.com.cn