China celebrates the founding of its naval arm, the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), on April 23, Navy Day. Starting as a modest coastal defence force, the army has become one of the world’s largest maritime powers. It comprises five sub-branches – the Surface Force, the Submarine Force, the Marine Corps, the Coastal Defence Force, and the Naval Air Force.
This year marks the 76th anniversary of the PLAN’s official establishment in 1949. PLA Navy seeks to celebrate it by organising open ship day activities in over 10 coastal cities and ports. The public will have access to over 30 active Chinese naval ships, the highest number and largest variety ever in naval open ship day activities over the years.
The PLAN has developed steadily since its establishment, growing from a modest naval arm into a massive strategic force armed with nuclear and conventional weapons. The 21st century, especially, has been crucial with the PLAN undergoing an unprecedented expansion in size, reach, and ambition.
A Humble Beginning of People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)
The PLAN was formally established on April 23, 1949, but its origin traces back to the early 1920s. Back then, its objective was only to “perform the political tasks of the Chinese revolution.” During the 1927-49 Civil War, the PLAN was responsible for supporting the army’s operational and logistical efforts on lakes, rivers, and to a limited extent, coastal waters.
A drastic shift came after the army failed to strike on the Kinmen Islands in the fall of 1949, owing to an unorganised operation launched against the Republic of China (ROC). Learning from this failure, it developed into a modern maritime force before assaulting Hainan in early 1950. The Hainan assault consisted of carefully trained troops operating within the PLAN’s control of the sea and the air.
At the time of its official establishment in 1949, the naval commander Xiao Jinguang inspected Liugong Island on a fishing boat. This fact is recorded on the island’s stele inscription.
The Shift from Brown-Water Navy to Blue-Water Navy
For decades, the PLAN operated as a brown-water navy, largely a riverine and littoral force. It was mostly responsible for managing coastal defence, patrol, and territorial water disputes in the East and South China Seas.
In the late 20th century, a shift occurred when China’s global trade and economic ambitions grew. Maritime security, once a domestic issue, was now seen as crucial to national development and sovereignty.
In 2008, China’s naval forces modernised significantly, with China joining international anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden. It was the PLAN’s first long-distance deployment, marking the beginning of its evolution into a blue-water navy capable of operating globally.
In the 21st century, the PLA Navy increased its regular naval exercises and patrols in the Taiwan Strait, the Senkaku Islands/Diaoyutai in the East China Sea, and many other parts and territories. Over the decade, the PLAN also completed several major missions, including combat training exercises, international military cooperation activities, military operations other than war (MOOTW), etc., to improve its comprehensive capabilities.
People’s Liberation Army Navy Emerging as a World-Class Navy
The PLA Navy has come a long way in its endeavour to become a world-class naval force, undergoing significant weaponry and equipment development. It started with just a few thousand tonnes of vessels, which was less than a single destroyer in a major power’s navy.
In 2012, the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China led the PLA Navy to a golden period with remarkable achievements. It launched the Shandong, China’s first domestically built carrier, in April 2017, followed by unveiling the inaugural amphibious assault ship, the Hainan, in September 2019. It also commissioned the new 10,000-tonne destroyer Nanchang in January 2020 and Fujian, a modern flat-top ejection aircraft carrier expected to rival American designs in June 2022.
Additionally, it brought out a new generation of destroyers (Type 055), frigates, submarines, and support vessels.
As of 2024, the PLAN takes pride in being the largest navy globally in sheer numbers, with over 370 combat ships and submarines in service, surpassing the 292 ships and submarines in the United States Navy (USN). This number does not include the coastal missile boats, minesweepers, and gunboats. The PLAN is also the world’s second-largest navy by total displacement tonnage at 2 million tonnes, followed by the USN.
Naval Diplomacy and Soft Power
Apart from combat readiness, China has deployed its navy for disaster relief, evacuations, and joint exercises. The “Harmonious Mission” deployments of the hospital ship Peace Ark, for instance, offer a softer image of Chinese naval power.
The PLAN also participates in multilateral drills like RIMPAC, Joint Sea (with Russia), and AMAN (with Pakistan), building operational experience and political influence.
China’s Big But Weak Navy: The Uncertain Edge
While China’s PLA Navy has grown quickly in recent decades, size alone does not guarantee maritime dominance. There’s still uncertainty in certain areas.
Lack of Naval Combat Experience
The PLAN’s biggest weakness is its lack of real-world combat experience because it hasn’t engaged in significant combat since the 1979 Sino-Vietnamese War. The navy personnel haven’t had the opportunity to display their operational capability in complex scenarios like amphibious assaults, high-intensity conflicts, and carrier strike group coordination, making their combat expertise uncertain.
Aircraft Carrier Capability
China’s carrier fleet symbolises ambition but not dominance yet. Around 70% of their warships were launched after 2010, making them much newer and smaller in tonnage. It mostly comprises newly designed destroyers, corvettes and frigates, with a handful of amphibious transport docks and two commissioned aircraft carriers. On the contrary, the U.S. launched only 25% of their fleet after 2010. The majority of their tonnage comes from the 21 large amphibious transport docks, eleven 100,000-ton supercarriers, and experimental capital ships.
Submarine Force and Stealth
The PLAN’s submarine fleet is impressive, including attack submarines (SSNs) and nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarines (SSBNs). However, noise levels and stealth remain an issue, reducing their survivability in high-end conflict. Conversely, the U.S. and its allies maintain a clear lead in undersea warfare, owing to decades of technological refinement and a robust anti-submarine warfare (ASW) network.
Strategic Shortcomings
Another area where China needs to improve is its over-dependence on gaining numerical superiority instead of qualitative advancement. Even after developing a vast fleet, the PLAN does not have support infrastructure, such as overseas bases and replenishment ships, which are necessary for sustained global operations. This shortcoming came to the surface during Yemen’s evacuation mission in 2021 when Chinese vessels faced logistical constraints and weren’t able to easily coordinate with allied forces.
Modest to Massive: People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) – Summing Up
As China celebrates Navy Day on April 23, the symbolism is powerful. The PLAN stands as a pillar of national pride, technological achievement, and strategic will. Its rapid development and determination to gain the capability to fulfil its missions and tasks in the new era are noteworthy. However, many underlying weaknesses and shortcomings undermine its credibility as a global naval power.