Expert Perspectives | Pascal Lamy–WTO Reform and the Multilateral Trading System
May 02 , 2017
Today, media has been dominated by news that China launched its first home-made aircraft carrier, arousing concerns and speculation on China’s military and its naval power.
As China’s development is more and more dependent on the sea, China is increasingly concerned about the safety of its sea. The navy now needs not only offshore capabilities, but also operational capability of defense in the ocean. Chinese experts believe more carriers is a symbol of a stronger navy and hope to become a major maritime power. But still, it takes time to form the real capability to achieve the set goal. This newly self-constructed carrier symbolizes that China is getting into a new stage, but that it would not a threat or challenge to the world.
Yet this new carrier has indeed raised concerns from other countries about the peace-making nature of China, and it might bring China into an internal conflict between its desire to protect the Chinese people and assets and the non-intervention idea. The construction also raised doubts about how China is going to use the capabilities
Building such a carrier is not a demonstration of technology or an intention to match its economic status, but merely a practical choice. As the second largest economy biggest and biggest trading power in the world, it’s necessary for China to develop such capabilities to protect its own resources and assets. However, these efforts been interpreted in other ways by other countries like India.
The Dialogue Studio inviting Einar Tangen, an author and colummist, and Dr. Wang Huiyao, a president of Center for China and Globalization(CCG), to sharing their opinions and discussions.
