China advancing military capability at sea, in skies

China could begin testing its first aircraft carrier within weeks and is developing more advanced satellites, reports said on Tuesday, adding to concerns about its expanding military clout amid disputes over the resource-rich South China Sea.
Beijing has ramped up defence spending over the past few years, replacing outdated equipment and unveiling a slew of cutting-edge technologies, including a prototype stealth fighter and powerful ballistic missiles.
Its first aircraft carrier, a retrofitted ship bought from Ukraine in 1998, is expected to be mainly used for training purposes, a state-run newspaper reported, but others are believed to be in the works. The former Soviet carrier Varyag, once destined to become a floating casino, is now part of President Hu Jintao's push to modernise the navy.
Chinese military and political sources have said Beijing could launch the carrier this year, as China marks 90 years since the founding of the ruling Communist Party. Such a launch would be a first, exploratory step towards an operational carrier fleet. "The ... Varyag is expected to serve primarily as a training vessel for pilots and deck crews," the English-language China Daily reported. It "will begin initial sea trials probably either late this month, in early August or later in the year," the official newspaper added. "It is uncertain when the Varyag will be made operational and where it will be based."
The paper also reported there were "rumours" that another aircraft carrier is being built in Shanghai, but it did not elaborate. Chen Bingde, chief of the People's Liberation Army General Staff, told the United States top military chief Admiral Mike Mullen who is visiting China that the Varyag was a "very valuable for us to research these things", the China Daily said. Analysts say that, in practical terms, it will probably take the Chinese navy years to possess a credible carrier operation in Asia's seas, which have largely been the domain of the US navy since World War Two.
The cost of building a medium-sized conventionally powered, 60,000-tonne carrier similar to the Russian Kuznetsov class could exceed $2 billion. China is likely to acquire at least two, sources say. The carrier will add to regional concerns about China's military modernisation and arms build-up.
In recent weeks, China has been flexing its muscles more aggressively in the South China Sea, where a territorial dispute with Taiwan and several Southeast Asian nations, including Vietnam and the Philippines, has festered for years. China is also working on a ballistic missile that could pose a serious threat to US aircraft carriers, which Washington could deploy to seas around Taiwan in the event of a crisis with the self-ruled island, which China claims as its own territory.
"The missile is still undergoing experimental testing and will be used as a defensive weapon when it is successfully developed, not an offensive one," Chen was quoted as saying. Use of such missiles would leverage China's growing prowess in developing more advanced satellites, according to a report in October's Journal of Strategic Studies, an copy of which was obtained by Reuters. These reconnaissance satellites would enable China to track hostile forces in real time and guide ballistic missiles, enabling Beijing to project power far beyond its shores. "China's constellation of satellites is transitioning from the limited ability to collect general strategic information, into a new era in which it will be able to support tactical operations as they happen," the report said.