The Chinese have now officially confirmed what we’ve suspected for some time: China is well on its way to becoming a card-carrying member of the aircraft carrier club, having nearly completed the refitting of the Ukrainian Varyag, now reportedly called Shi Lang, which it purchased in 1998 for only $20 million. Sea trials begin shortly.
For decades, aircraft carriers have been the preeminent symbol and tool of power projection and military might. China acknowledges aircraft carriers as “symbols of a great nation” and achieving the mantle of great power status has long been one of the primary goals articulated by the PRC. These vessels cost billions of dollars to research, develop, build, maintain, and upgrade over the course of their service-life, but the Chinese have found a clever way around the immense sunk costs. They seek to acquire technology ranging from WWII-era shells to recently retired ships from the Aussies, Russians, and, most recently, the Ukrainians under the guise of converting these huge weapons into floating amusement parks and casinos. There are even rumors that the former flagship of Her Majesty’s Royal Navy (out of the carrier club for the next decade), the HMS Ark Royal, had been the target of a bid from a Chinese businessman hoping for his very own floating casino.
Given the severe budget cuts the DOD will continue to face in the near- to medium-term, the United States should pressure its allies to refrain from selling even antiquated and stripped-down equipment to the Chinese. This is especially pressing in a time when China’s regional neighbors are increasingly wary of the growing power imbalance, and the Chinese show a willingness to aggressively pursue its interests in the region (see Japan’s Defense White Paper). Even selling China outdated equipment enables it to conduct research and development on the cheap, and field new power projection capabilities more quickly. The refitting of the Varyag is indicative of an evolving Chinese strategy that will rely more upon power projection in the coming years; America and her allies should be prepared for such a development.
Andrew Brown is an intern at AEI.