The Chinese Starter Carrier

[LongBlade]

China has finally launched a carrier. It's not expected to be fully operational for some time, but it has been commissioned.

Among the fanfare is this little tidbit, which I found interesting.

China had partly justified the launching of a carrier by pointing out that it alone among the five permanent United Nations Security Council members had no such craft. That had been particularly glaring given the constant presence in Asia of carriers operated by the U.S. Navy, which maintains 11 worldwide.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2012/09/25/china-unveils-first-aircraft-carrier-to-enter-service

[Windigo]

... and down the rabbit hole they go

[Steelgrave]

"Starter carrier", nice!

They've already gone on record as saying that their new toy will be influential in resolving their territorial disputes (read land grab) with Japan and the Phillipines. And Japan has fears that giving in to Chinese aggression will (predictably) lead to more demands. This has the makings of a tense situation.

From Real Clear Politics:  "Tokyo is beginning to realize there is no appeasing Chinese leaders.  On the 14th, the official China Daily, by making a reference to Kume in the Ryukyus, laid the historical groundwork for raising a claim on that Japanese island chain, which is near the Senkakus.  Said Hissho Yanai, a Japanese activist, to the New York Times, "If we let them have the Senkaku Islands, they'll come after all of Okinawa next."

The entire article is here and makes a case that China is demonizing Japan as a way to turn attention from China's worsening economic situation  http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonchang/2012/09/23/is-china-burning/

[LongBlade]

"Starter carrier", nice!

They've already gone on record as saying that their new toy will be influential in resolving their territorial disputes (read land grab) with Japan and the Phillipines. And Japan has fears that giving in to Chinese aggression will (predictably) lead to more demands. This has the makings of a tense situation.

From Real Clear Politics:  "Tokyo is beginning to realize there is no appeasing Chinese leaders.  On the 14th, the official China Daily, by making a reference to Kume in the Ryukyus, laid the historical groundwork for raising a claim on that Japanese island chain, which is near the Senkakus.  Said Hissho Yanai, a Japanese activist, to the New York Times, "If we let them have the Senkaku Islands, they'll come after all of Okinawa next."

The entire article is here and makes a case that China is demonizing Japan as a way to turn attention from China's worsening economic situation  http://www.forbes.com/sites/gordonchang/2012/09/23/is-china-burning/

Stratfor just published a long article today outlining the reasons behind the increasing tensions between China and Japan. Mostly it's due to some worthless rocks poking their heads above the water. Wars have been fought over less. Sounds like as good a reason as any.

[Windigo]

Its the excuse to settle out the pecking order over there. That carrier is just a massive torpedo target anyway

[MIGMaster]

^ Excactly what I was thinking ....and how scary is that ! :o