A New Naval Base for China Would Allow Quick Breakout Into the Deep Pacific
Commentary
The bane of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) has been its unfettered access to the Pacific Ocean. However, China’s closer relations with Russia is changing this limitation to Beijing’s advantage.
The PLAN is experiencing significant growth in naval force structure, with roughly 350 ships in service. It has surpassed the U.S. Navy, which is still below 300 ships, but it still faces restrictions on its ability to come and go freely.
Germany, the Soviet Union, and Russia have had similar historical and geographic constraints placed on their navies, which have been limiting factors in their ability to challenge the American navy, the British navy, and other Allied navies.
