China’s New Navy: The Evolution of PLAN From the People’s Revolution to a 21st Century Cold War

304 pages

Dr James Bosbotinis

The development of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will likely be one of the most significant factors influencing the development of the international strategic environment over the coming decades. In China’s New Navy, the author seeks to shed light on the evolution of the PLAN since its founding in 1949, examining how the navy’s strategy, roles, doctrine and capabilities have developed, and its operational employment, including vis-à-vis Taiwan, in the Vietnam War, and in counterpiracy deployments since 2008. The author, Xiaobing Li, is a professor of history at the University of Central Oklahoma, and notably, previously served in the People’s Liberation Army. This has enabled the author to consult a range of sources that would most likely not be available to a Western academic, including interviewing retired Chinese generals and other officers. Moreover, the author had access to the PLA Academy of Military Sciences, the Military Archives of the PLA, and various other Chinese academic institutions, all of which are detailed in the book’s bibliography.

The book follows a broadly chronological approach, with six principal chapters covering the origins of the PLAN in the closing stages of the Chinese Civil War, ‘“Limited Naval Wars” in the Taiwan Strait’, ‘Naval Strategy and Combat Experience’, ‘The Vietnam War and South China Sea’, ‘Reform and New Strategy’, ‘Sea Power in the Blue Water’, and the conclusion focusing on ‘Xi’s New Navy’. The author addresses the major strategic factors influencing Chinese naval development through the 1950s to the present, including relations with the Soviet Union, the shifting domestic environment (such as the Cultural Revolution), and interservice relations. The rise to power of Deng Xiaoping in the late 1970s and his decision to pursue opening up and reform, and its significance for the PLAN is well-discussed, in particular with regard to the role and influence of Admiral Liu Huaqing, described by the author as “China’s Sergei Gorshkov or Alfred T. Mahan”. The long-term context for China’s interest in sea power is ably covered by the author, although developments over the past decade could perhaps have been analysed in somewhat more depth, there is, for example, no mention of the Type 003 aircraft carrier Fujian (the launch of China’s first indigenous carrier, the Shandong, is mentioned).

China’s New Navy provides an in-depth and ably executed analysis of the evolution of the PLAN. The analysis is well-written, although there are occasional typos and errors due mainly to English being the authors’ second language: these do not detract from the quality of the text.  This book will be particularly valuable for those with an interest, professional or academic in the development of the PLAN, and wider Chinese strategy. One sentence that particularly caught this reviewer’s attention concerns China’s first counterpiracy deployment in 2008/2009, and refers to “logistical shortages, low morale, communications problems, and lack of knowledge of international law”. The depth of the author’s research is evident throughout the book. China’s New Navy is certainly recommended.