Secure support
Lan Yun said that the final number of carriers China will need depends on several factors, including the scope of the country's maritime interests and its potential opponents.
But he believes it's better not to suspend construction of carriers any time soon. "Two aircraft carriers are definitely not enough. The ships will be inactive in the short term or long term in turn for maintenance, refit and upgrade," Lan said.
In addition, there should be special material suppliers, workshops and shipbuilders for the construction of the carriers and the whole production line should be kept active at all times.
"Otherwise, it's troublesome to reorganize the production line after years' suspension. We should learn lessons from France," Lan said.
France completed two aircraft carriers in the 1960s. Two decades later, the country restarted its carrier program and launched a new carrier in May 1994. But the carrier wasn't commissioned until 2001. Funding problems, structural faults and technical issues beleaguered its construction.
China has now become one of the few countries that can build aircraft carriers independently. Lan believes an active production line will ensure a better quality and help sharpen China's shipbuilding skills.
"The lifespan of an aircraft carrier is about 50 years, and if we keep the pace of making one every five years, we can produce 10 in an updating cycle," he said.
Li said China is also training personnel and building support vessels for the new carrier fleets. "As we still do not have many aircraft, we can deploy more vessels to escort the carriers," Li said.
The country's first large-deck amphibious assault ship - the Type 075 is reportedly well under construction in Shanghai. The 40,000-ton vessel, planned to enter service in 2020, is similar in size to the largest American Wasp-class amphibious ships, reported the South China Morning Post in March.
Li said the Type 075 can only carry mid-sized helicopters and still lags behind the U.S. latest amphibious ships that can carry F-35B fighter jets and MV-22 Osprey transport aircraft.
"The ship will likely be mainly used to accompany aircraft carriers," Li said. He believed the ship is designed for landing battles on islands and reefs.
He suggested China step up its research and development of heavier helicopters, so as to enhance the delivery ability of the Type 075.
Invisible benefits
The PLAN is projected to have between 265 and 273 warships, submarines and logistics vessels by 2020, more than U.S. Navy's 260 vessels, the Washington DC-based Center for Naval Analyses said in a report last year.
However, Li said that China will still lag behind in overall strength, citing that the total displacement of the U.S. Pacific Fleet alone is more than the PLAN's total.
Once operational, the USS Gerald R. Ford will host more than 4,600 service people and up to 75 aircraft, reported news portal thediplomat.com.
Rear Admiral Bruce H. Lindsey, commander of U.S.'s Naval Air Force Atlantic, wrote in an article last month published on the official blog of the U.S. Navy that the aircraft carrier is "the striking arm of national power" and its value "remains unmatched today and well into the foreseeable future." He also wrote that the carriers and their air wings "give diplomacy its gravitas."
During a visit to the $13-billion USS Gerald R. Ford on March 2, U.S. President Donald J. Trump vowed to build a 12-carrier navy.
Nevertheless, some believe aircraft carriers do not offer the return on investment they once did.
"The U.S.'s aircraft carriers are losing significance and their value is actually negative now. The country's interest groups hype their importance to vie for bigger military budgets," military affairs commentator Song Xiaojun told the Global Times.
But he said that the worldwide shipbuilding industry has suffered in recent years and the PLAN's carrier construction plans can help support the country's major shipyards.
Li disagrees. "The economic benefits seem imbalanced considering the huge cost of construction and maintenance, but many other benefits are invisible and cannot be calculated," Li argued.
The U.S.'s 10 aircraft carriers help it deter other countries, maintain its maritime hegemony and protect its strategic interests globally, he said.
Lan believed that the carriers will not burden China as that the country's defense budget is only 1.3 percent of GDP, lower than many other countries.
"The carriers will not only help safeguard Chinese ocean security, protect our interests and rescue Chinese nationals, but will also enhance our power on the seas and in diplomacy," Li stressed.
