– Jane’s – The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will deploy a range of naval vessels into the Indian Ocean region in the future.

– DefenseTech – China has plans to grow its navy to 351 ships by 2020 as the Chinese continue to develop their military’s ability to strike global targets, according to a new report.

– USNI News – China has made several additions to its so-called carrier-on-land facility, including a mock-up of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s (PLAN) planned next generation guided missile destroyer.

– National Interest – “Air-Sea Battle” with Chinese Characteristics: a large fleet of land-based aircraft armed with some of the world’s most advanced anti-ship cruise missiles.

– National Interest – Why Tokyo should be concerned over Beijing’s rising military might.

– National Interest – China’s grand strategy in the South China Sea seems pretty clear—change facts in the water.

– National Interest – Russia is back in vogue among Chinese strategists, at least for now.

– USNI News – China is building airstrips on islands less than 200 miles from the contested Japanese Senkaku Islands, according to a report in Kyodo News.

– USNI News – China’s ambiguous claim to the South China Sea, approximately demarcated by a series of hash marks known as the “nine-dashed line,” faced objections from an expanding number of parties over the past two weeks. While a challenge from the United States came from an unsurprising source, actions by Indonesia and Vietnam were unexpected in their tone and timing.

– National Interest – The First Sino-Japanese War a century ago offers Beijing interesting lessons for the future—lessons China’s military through its writings is clearly exploring.

– Defense News – China’s new CX-1 supersonic anti-ship cruise missile is ready for export to America’s friends and foes alike, with potential markets including Iran, Pakistan and African and South American countries.

– Defense News – Taiwan’s F-16s face a growing threat from China’s arsenal of surface-to-air missiles (SAMs). The latest and gravest is the Russian sale of 400-kilometer-range S-400 Triumf road-mobile SAM systems to China. If fielded in Fujian Province, the SAM system will be able to cover the whole of Taiwan airspace, thus finally solving the “problem of air superiority for the Chinese.”

– Joint Forces Quarterly – The numerous, increasingly advanced cruise missiles being developed and deployed by the People’s Republic of China (PRC) have largely flown under the public’s radar. This article surveys PRC cruise missile programs and assesses their implications for broader People’s Liberation Army (PLA) capabilities, especially in a Taiwan scenario.

– Reuters – According to Janes’, satellite images show China is building an island on a reef in the disputed Spratly Islands large enough to accommodate what could be its first offshore airstrip in the South China Sea

– Information Dissemination – Excellent review of the Chinese anti-ship ballistic missile program by Jon Solomon. Make sure to read all 4 parts as listed at the top.

– USNI News – China has put the Shenyang J-15 Flying Shark carrier-borne multirole fighter into serial production, with at least eight production examples known to be flying already.

– Economist – Trade depends on order at sea, but keeping it is far from straightforward.

– USNI News – China has commissioned a corvette variant focused on anti submarine warfare (ASW), expanding the capability of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to find and hunt submarines in the South China Sea.

– The Atlantic – The country’s intensifying efforts to redraw maritime borders have its neighbors, and the U.S., fearing war. But does the aggression reflect a government growing in power—or one facing a crisis of legitimacy? An excellent review of the situation in the South China Sea.

– Bloomberg – Beneath the surface of the South China Sea off the tropical Chinese resort island of Hainan, an underwater tunnel guides submarines into a lair reminiscent of a James Bond spy movie.

– The Diplomat – Reports of Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning’s death are greatly exaggerated.

– The Diplomat – The PLAN already contests maritime Asia with the United States.

– Wall Street Journal – China’s submarines add nuclear-strike capability, altering strategic balance.

– National Defense University – This paper addresses China’s expanding international economic interests, which are likely to generate increasing demands for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) to operate out of area to protect Chinese citizens, investments, and sea lines of communication. The frequency, intensity, type, and location of such operations will determine the associated logistics support requirements, with distance from China, size and duration, and combat intensity being especially important drivers.

– War is Boring – There’s no more of a conspicuous and potent symbol of China’s growing naval power than the aircraft carrier Liaoning. But the 53,000-ton, 999-foot-long carrier could be dangerous to her crew and prone to engine failures. If so, that makes the vessel as much of a liability as an asset to Beijing.