Strategic Implications of Chinese Naval Expansion

In the early decades of the twenty-first century, China seeks to become the preeminent regional naval power in the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea, and to acquire a credible defense capability hundreds of miles to the east of her shores. China also seeks a permanent naval presence in the Indian Ocean, and strives to become the superior naval force on both sides of the narrow choke points between the Indian and Pacific oceans. This paper will examine the growth of the Peoples Liberation Army Navy the PLAN, and the strategic implications thereof.