Xi Jinping, the Chinese head of state, boarded a warship on Thursday to observe a naval parade as he set out to create the most powerful navy in the world. The ceremony was a part of scheduled exercises in the South China Sea. These waters weren't selected by chance.
Our correspondent in China, Anastasia Sakhovskaya, reports with the details.
Everyone is in full dress. Here's the full scale of this exercise from a bird's eye view. Even at hundreds of meters above the South China Sea, the cameras can't capture the entire formation. This is the biggest naval parade in the history of the CPR. Xi Jinping salutes the parade while wearing camouflage.
A month ago, during the National People's Congress, the head of the CPR was re-elected to the position of the Chief of the Central Military Commission. The leader of the CPR boards the destroyer Changsha. This is the parade's flagship; it began its service a few years ago. 8 new combat ships are expected to join the formation next year. Their water displacement will be twice as much, and they'll be able to carry twice as many weapons, including 112 launchpads with vertical takeoff capabilities. The parade formation has 48 ships and nuclear submarines.
The Liaoning aircraft carrier is in the formation for the first time. It was set up as a successor of Varyag, the Russian heavy carrier cruiser. An aircraft carrier that was fully developed in China will begin its tests in a week. The country intends to build 6 more of such ships. The best view is from the cockpit.
The parade's aerial part consists of 76 planes and helicopters. The Commander-in-Chief ordered 7 groups to be launched. This includes expeditionary forces, the Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard. Over 10,000 sailors snap to attention.
The officer: "Thank you for your service!"
Soldiers: "We serve the people!"
This is about a third of the PLA Navy. They are undergoing wide-scale modernization with the rest of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.
Xi Jinping, Head of CPR: "Attention Navy officers and sailors! I urge you to improve combat readiness and to remain on full battle alert. You must execute the Party's orders, and be ready to respond to the people's call at any time. You must firmly defend national interests, and do everything you can to contribute to peace and stability around the world and in the region".
In two years, they should finish computerizing and equipping the Army with state-of-the-art equipment. The complete modernization of the world's largest army is to be completed by 2035.
On Wednesday, the Chinese Navy will come together again for exercises in the Taiwan Strait. Peking emphasizes the peaceful nature of the parade and exercises. They're not intended to defy any third country, nor are they a demonstration of force. Their sole purpose is to increase the national defense capability.
Anastasia Sakhovskaya, Mikhail Artyukhin, Vesti News of the Week, Peking, China.
