(Ecns.cn)--Although the Chinese evacuation operation from Libya earlier this year impressed many, military experts were not satisfied with the transportation modes employed to rescue citizens from the warzone.
Supported by a naval frigate, China evacuated more than 30,000 citizens from Libya in February using chartered planes and cruise ships in cooperation with countries such as Greece, Malta and Algeria.
"If we could have sent a Chinese aircraft carrier to Libya, it would have been a perfect operation," said Han Xudong, a professor at the National Defense University.
Despite the discretion of Chinese authorities, such a possibility became a hot issue for military fans on the web after a series of photos of the Varyag, believed to be the country's first aircraft carrier, were posted by an anonymous source in April.
News reports published by many domestic websites on June 7 added to the buzz, stating that Chen Bingde, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Chief of Staff, had publicly confirmed for the first time that China was building an aircraft carrier during a visit to the US.
It soon became an obsession for both domestic and foreign press to scoop the mysteries of China's first aircraft carrier.
In March 2009, during his meeting with Japanese Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada in Beijing, Chinese Defense Minister Liang Guanglie said, "China is the only large country that does not possess aircraft carriers; this situation won't last forever." His statement was quickly interpreted by the media as "the Defense Minister confirms that China will build an aircraft carrier."
However, not everyone was quite as enthusiastic.
The carrier-domineering mentality is obsolete in today's world, in which a US-controlled financial globalization has been established, military strategists said.
According to Major General Qiao Liang, the aircraft carrier is a mere symbol of maritime power, rather than a major deterrent to enemies.
"The carrier provided a powerful advantage in controlling logistics and supplies at sea," he said, "but is no longer as important since the US established a globalized financial system, which devalued maritime transportation 40 years ago."
Since the US dollar remains the dominant international reserve currency, governments gain profits through monetary transactions to control the currency, rather than product transportation, which has become a mere process of delivery, he added.
"No country will fight for goods at sea anymore, only pirates," Qiao said. “The only maritime war to take place in the past 40 years was Argentina and Britain fighting over the Islas Malvinas."
Nevertheless, some military experts believe the aircraft carrier will come in handy for China to protect its maritime interests.
Li Jie, a researcher with the Chinese navy's military academy, said the deployment of aircraft carriers is the most effective measure for military intervention, especially in China's nearby seas.
"China has territorial disputes over sea areas or islands with neighboring countries, and maritime trading lines to protect," he said. "It (the aircraft carrier) is more like a platform for China to become one of the major maritime powers."
Li's line was backed by Han Xudong, who said China at least needs three to five aircraft carriers to form two aircraft carrier battle groups, which can be deployed at the northern and southern parts of the Taiwan Strait.
"If these areas are the eyes of China, then we need the carriers there for us to see better," Han said.
