How many aircraft carriers should China have?

(People's Daily Online) 08:55, January 08, 2014

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After a 37-day scientific and training mission in the South China Sea, China's first aircraftcarrier Liaoning" returned to its home port of Qingdao in eastern China's ShandongProvince on January 1.

Talking about how many aircraft carriers China should have, Du Wenlong, military expert,offered the view that "one is too little, two not enough, and three might just meet thedemand" is a relatively reasonable analysis.

He further said if China had only one aircraft carrier, it would not conform to China's statusas a world power, nor to the demands imposed by the length of the coastline. ConsideringChina's ocean environment, two aircraft carriers are not enough to safeguard marineinterests. If China has three aircraft carriers, they can maintain a sustained combatcapability: maintenance, safeguarding and patrol respectively.

China's Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun has said that "Liaoning" is China's firstaircraft carrier, but will not be the only one.

（Editor：LiangJun、Gao Yinan）

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