Council on Geostrategy – The People’s Republic of China’s naval build-up over the past decade has been substantial. Once a maritime minnow, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) – the Chinese navy – has grown into a shark. And that shark is increasingly less constrained. Propelled by a growing auxiliary fleet, the PLAN is becoming increasingly mobile, able to operate well beyond the PRC’s shores and adjacent seas. The PLAN may have some way to go to meet the might of the United States (US) Navy or even navies such as the Royal Navy or Japanese Maritime Self-Defence Force, especially if supporting the US Navy, but it will only be a matter of time until large Chinese expeditionary fleets are found regularly operating in the world’s oceans.