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| Chinese Defense Blog's pic of the PLA's new Mobile Landing Dock. |
Why is this interesting? Because the Chinese have made a choice. They've chosen JLOTS over Sea Basing.
The Chinese haven't appeared to be cost conscious when it comes to defense spending. From stealth aircraft, to a modern jet transport, modern armor, advanced destroyers to state of the art amphibious ships...the Chinese haven't been penny pinching.
Which begs the question. They've copied everything else, so why not the sea base. Do they see the same issues with it that I do?
Yup, this is it. We are used to seeing the the Chinese use their industrial base to make massive ground based projects. Now they are moving sea wards. I wouldnt be surprised at all if they decided to make a Yamato Class Battleship in all its 65,000 tons of Cold Steel glory.
ReplyDeleteDont take my Yamato Class comment literally but you see the picture.
These images provided by Solomon do not look like a navy which will be satisfied with just 2 or even 3 Carrier Battlegroups. Nor do they look like a Navy which will sit happy and content in case they do get to have their way with a couple of countries.
My comment may sound too alarmist but just think about it- The current barrier of Japan, Vietnam, Phillipines, Taiwan, US Pacific Command and maybe Australia and South Korea maybe the "First" barrier China has to cross to truly dominate the world. But it is also the only barrier and the very last Big Barrier currently interested in stopping the Chinese.
If this Barrier falls like a house of cards because of non-cordination, confusion, politics etc. well......California and Mumbai are next.
Interestingly, the more fiercly and concretly we contain the Chinese expansion out towards the Pacific the more they will be a troublesome neighbour to Russia. China needs to expand......period. Which direction you say ? Anywhere with plenty of resources....hydrocarbons in general. So lets point them to another direction by making sure that expansion in this direction is just too bloody murderous and expensive.
ReplyDeleteNo Hydrocarbons in the Himalayas. Where do we go from here. Like a compass pointing true north.....the unpopulated Russian Hinterland. No mexican immigration wave is going to rival what might.....might just happen here.
China isn't talking about reclaiming old territory because it needs room. it doesn't need to move into russia or the himalayans for resources...its all about trying to keep a communist country under control while still reaping the benefits of capitalism!
Deleteyou MUST have an outside threat or the population will start taking a long look at leadership. thats whats happening in the US. social strife, already an issue is emphasized by the current leadership because it takes eyes off what they're doing...which isn't much. but the flip side of all of that is what happens when no one buys the bullshit anymore. we might be seeing that here and thats what the chinese really have to worry about. too many people driving super expensive cars and too many more living in REAL poverty...i'm talking about back breaking soul wrenching poverty.
they're ripe for the pickings when it comes to serious domestic trouble. the only issue for the world is that when leadership senses that they'll probably make a move on a neighbor to get everyone to rally round the flag.
It's already happen, I read some article couple of years ago about whole colony's of Chinese in Siberia where they work. It will be just matter of time before some "peoples' republic" will appear to fight against "Kremlin fascist junta" with support of China.
DeleteSolomon, the Chinese will expand to the Soviet hinterland. The current perto-gas contracts with the Russians are proof that even if the Chinese arent there physically, they are there monetarily and industrially and maybe even a small portion of actual workers and supervisors and managers. And thats how small beginnings are made into big holdings.
DeleteThere is already a historical precedent for it. Humanity has never left a resource rich region with sparce population left alone and non-conflicted.
First you make the Russians desperate enough to do business with the chinese on chinese discounted terms and then the rest will follow. Believe you me....it will follow.
Even in the current scrimmage for Islands in the Pacific.....there is an element of Nationality and Soverignity I am sure....but there is also a huge big element of Hydro Carbons as well.
Deletei talk about the markets because i've been caught up in these conversations so often. oil or hydrocarbons as you call them are going through a change that i can't quite label.
Deleteconsider. no one has increased oil production in a couple of years. yet oil prices are falling. i almost fainted when i paid 2.75 for a gallon of gas yesterday. additionally the Saudi's are talking of cutting oil production. at the same time the US has gone from a net oil importer to being an oil exporter in a couple of years. that tech will be exported to. last you have to talk about the natural gas revolution and all the stuff people are doing with solar, wind, waves and...yeah...nuclear and you have energy becoming less of an issue.
finally we have to talk about the economy. there is no demand so there is no need for extra production. even china is feeling the squeeze of globalization as energy prices are down in the US and shipping is taking a bite out of prices so they're beginning to see a loss of production back to the states.
now if you had said farm land. clean water then i'd have less of an argument but no.....oil isn't the key. additionally moving into the frigid area of empty russia just isn't in anyones interests. hard to farm. cold as hell...just empty tundra. i don't see it. besides the chinese are moving toward cities like crazy. and the govt is encouraging it. its crazy in my opinion but there you have it.
True enough Solomon, but the Chinese arent going to find farmlands and city building areas in those small pacific Islands as well.
DeleteI never like to comment on the prices of Commodities as the price at any point of time is never a real indicator of Market forces devoid of speculatory activities. I also dont know how much 2.75 dollars for a gallon of gas measures up to but I can tell you this figure.....in 2009, I was paying something in the region of 48-50 Rupees for a litre of petrol which today I am paying 78 Rupees/litre. Hydro carbons are still large at play especially if you believe into that theory that China will ultimatly grow more and then rival the US for a 15-20 trillion dollar economy and India will get up to number 3 with 10 trillion plus. We are only 2 trillion plus now. Most of that growth is going to come from hydrocarbons.....a heavy use of nuclear, solar wind etc. will be made but nothing satisfies a business man/org. more than a captive coal mine which he can rely on for the next 30 years.
Also, I think that the US, China, India and Germany are the worlds foremost when it comes to the usage of and research into Solar and Wind Tech. The Chinese also have that Mount Olympus sized Hydel Power Industry as well.
Deleteyou are wrong because the MLP is part of the seabase NOT part of a landing operation as the photo depicts. While the INLS pontoon systems ARE part of Navy and joint LOTS operation. The USN is far superior to what you display, but of course the Chinese PLAN can easily steal the rather low tech systems which are used by the Naval Support Element.
ReplyDeleteWhat you MISSED is that the Chinese shipbuilders are turning out semi-submersible ships that are in many ways superior to the two MLP and they are doing that in numbers. Why does a country with limited offshore oil production need many Flo/Flo type ships??