Naval expert interprets high-sea training of joint maneuver taskforce of South China Sea Fleet

The South China Sea Fleet under the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) recently dispatched several modern warships to carry out high-sea training mission. Zhang Junshe, a naval expert, held that this high-sea training is Chinese Navy's routine military training which is in conformity with international laws and international common practice. Therefore, China hopes that ships and aircraft from countries concerned will not conduct close-in tracking or interfere with the normal training of the Chinese naval taskforce.

Normalized high-sea training is indispensable to enhance Chinese Navy's capability of "fighting and winning battles"

A general survey of all the navies of the world's major powers shows the fact that all of them unexceptionally organize their warships for high-sea training from time to time. The Chinese Navy should constantly go to the high sea for training like other major powers to improve the actual combat capabilities of "fighting and winning battles" as well as the strategic deterrence capability, effectively safeguarding China's maritime rights and interests.

Chinese Navy's high-sea training this time includes various subjects and complex scenarios close to actual combats, which will effectively enhance its capability to accomplish diversified military tasks

The high-sea training conducted by the maneuver taskforce of the South China Sea Fleet this time is the second time for the Chinese Navy to organize routine military training that crosses the "first island chain" in 2013. Those warships which participate in the training, including the "Lanzhou" guided missile destroyer, the "Yulin" and "Hengshui" guided missile frigates, the "Jinggangshan" amphibious dock landing warship, and so on, are equipped with long-range air-defense and anti-ship missiles, short-range quick air-defense guns and ship-borne helicopters, and are of comprehensive combat capabilities such as strong regional and point air defense as well as anti-submarine and anti-ship capabilities.

The taskforce will sail across the Bashi Channel and carry out a series of actual combat confrontation drills in the Western Pacific on such training subjects as maritime maneuver operation, maritime sovereignty protection, high-sea escort, support operation, and so on.

These training subjects are actual combat-oriented and practicability-oriented, and will fully display the determination of the Chinese government and the armed forces to safeguard territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. Moreover, the training will test and improve the commanding and coordination capability as well as comprehensive combat capability to accomplish diversified military tasks of the Chinese naval forces.

The Chinese Navy's high-sea training conforms to international laws and international common practice. It is hoped that ships and aircraft from some countries concerned will not conduct close-in tracking or interfere with the normal training of Chinese naval taskforce

Like those high-sea trainings carried out in the past, the training area where the South China Sea Fleet of the Chinese Navy organized the training this time is still in the open sea. The sea conditions and complex electromagnetic environment in the waters of the Western Pacific Ocean are conducive to naval ships to conduct trainings. It is therefore a natural training ground for the navies of many countries. The Bashi Channel and other waterways that the Chinese naval taskforce is going to pass during this training are suitable channels for international navigation. Naval ships and aircraft of any country have the right to navigate and pass through.

The Navy of the Chinese PLA made the announcement to the outside world through the media on the very day that the high-sea training started, which not only embodies the self-confidence of the Chinese Navy but also demonstrates the transparency and openness of the Chinese Navy.

It also accords with all international laws and common practice. Therefore, it is hoped that some countries concerned shall respect the Chinese Navy's rights of free navigation in accordance with the international laws, and obey the international provisions of maritime collision prevention, do not send their warships and aircraft to conduct close-in tracking, monitoring and interference on Chinese naval taskforce, do not make out those dangerous actions, such as extreme-low-altitude flight over Chinese warships, cutting through Chinese warship formation, crossing ahead of Chinese warship's bow, and the like, so as to reduce the possibility of maritime accidents, and work with the Chinese Navy to safeguard the peace and stability in the region.

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