Possession of aircraft carrier enhances world peace

The "Liaoning ship", China's first aircraft carrier, was officially handed over to the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on September 25, 2012, on which the PLA Daily reporters held interviews with relevant experts.

Chen Zhou, director of the National Defense Policy Research Center of the Academy of Military Sciences (AMS) of the PLA: The smooth delivery and commissioning of China's first aircraft carrier will promote changes of the Chinese Navy in its sea-battle concept, operation style and construction mode.

Chen Zhou believes that China has adopted an active attitude toward participation in high-sea cooperation and joint efforts to cope with non-traditional security threats. In this sense, China's possession of aircraft carrier signifies the containment of conflicts and wars as well as the reinforcement in the power of world peace, which is conducive to the peace and stability of the region and the world.

Fang Bing, associate professor with the Campaign Department of the National Defense University (NDU) of the PLA: Someone may ask whether China's first aircraft carrier should be considered as a work of independent research and development, or a second-hand one. In fact, buying a used aircraft carrier platform is no different from buying an empty shell. Since everything else is filled in through China's own R&D, China still owns complete independent property rights. In the process of conversion, China is entitled to the complete independent property rights of all its facilities and equipment as well as the conversion of the aircraft carrier itself.

Zhang Junshe, deputy director of the Military Academic Research Institute of the Navy of the PLA: China's R&D in aircraft carrier is a legitimate decision made by China as a sovereign country to exercise its self-defense right and a needful support to realize peaceful development.

According to Zhang Junshe, the Chinese military's possession of aircraft carrier serves to enhance China's capability of positive defense without changing its national defense policy defensive in nature. The Chinese military's development of weapons and equipment is essentially to strengthen its capability of maintaining the integrity of the country's territory and sovereignty. The maritime rights that China wants to safeguard are defined within the scope of maritime rights and interests verified by the national sovereignty as well as the United Nations' Law of the Sea. It will never serve the purpose of controlling the sea line of communication exclusively or seizing the maritime resources by force.