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South China Sea
ChinaMilitary

Chinese navy marks 72nd anniversary, unveiling no new warships

  • Some social media posts had speculated the Type 075 landing helicopter assault dock could be commissioned
  • But it will not be rushed for a celebration, expert says

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There had been speculation that the PLA Navy may commission new ships on Friday, but it did not do so. Photo: Reuters
Minnie Chan
The Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy marked its 72nd anniversary on Friday at the country’s biggest naval base, but no new warships were unveiled.
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The China Maritime Safety Administration issued a notice on Wednesday saying an area near Yalong Bay in Sanya, in the southern island province of Hainan, would on Friday be closed for six hours to marine traffic due to military activities.

Yalong Bay is home to Asia’s largest nuclear submarine base, a few kilometres from Yulin Naval Base at the southern tip of Hainan.

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Two years ago, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who chairs the Central Military Commission, was joined by foreign delegations for the navy’s 70th founding anniversary, in Qingdao. But Xi was not attending this year, a military insider said.

The active Type 055 Renhai class stealth-guided missile destroyer, along with the Type 093 and Type 094 nuclear submarines, were expected to take part in the anniversary event, according to the propaganda video produced by the PLA.

Some social media posts speculated that the navy could announce the commissioning of the Type 075 landing helicopter assault dock and some other advanced ships that had been undergoing sea trials.

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“The navy will not make such an arrangement, because safety and quality are the top priorities,” Zhou Chenming, a researcher from the Yuan Wang think tank, a Beijing-based military science and technology institute, said. “Today’s Chinese naval shipbuilding industry and sea trials do not need to be rushed for celebrations.”

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