China Enhances Its Maritime Capabilities

Summary

China Photos/Getty Images Chinese patrol ship Haixun 31 The Chinese Marine Surveillance (CMS) announced May 9 that 36 new vessels are expected to join its surveillance fleet by 2013. This announcement comes at a time when China is greatly expanding the capabilities of the CMS in an effort to assert itself in its claimed maritime zones. An aggressive China equipped with a larger maritime enforcement fleet will increase the chances of a military incident occurring in contested waters like the South China Sea. Analysis The CMS fleet's new ships reportedly include seven 1,500-ton ships, 15 1,000-ton ships and 14 600-ton ships. According to the CMS, construction on the 14 600-ton ships began May 8. Previous CMS vessels of more than 1,000-ton displacement have proven sea-worthy and able to stay at sea for more than a month. Plans exist to distribute the vessels to 14 provinces, autonomous regions and cities along China's coastline, which will allow China to continue expanding its presence in disputed waters and signal to other claimants its determination to maintain and fight for those zones. The vessels will also enhance China's awareness of its claimed economic exclusive zone (EEZ), which is extensive and difficult to monitor. In addition to the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the Chinese maintain five maritime law enforcement agencies: the CMS, the Maritime

Police of the Border Control Department (BCD), the Maritime Safety Administration, the Fisheries Law Enforcement Command and the General Administration of Customs. These agencies each have different missions that are all broadly related to securing Chinese maritime interests within the EEZ. The CMS in particular is charged with enforcing China's EEZ interests and often must confront other nations. The Chinese government is also discussing the possibility of integrating some of the five agencies' functions to avoid redundancies that have complicated maritime enforcement. Chinese maritime enforcement agencies have grown considerably over the last decade. In 2005 the CMS had 91 patrol vessels and four aircraft. By May 2011, the CMS had grown to 300 maritime surveillance vessels, including 30 vessels that weighed more than 1,000 tons. Many of these additions were newly built vessels that increased the quality of the fleet. The CMS also expanded its aircraft inventory to six planes and four helicopters.

The addition of 36 vessels is a significant expansion of the CMS. While none of these will be armed (only the PLAN and the BCD are armed, though some officials have suggested arming CMS vessels in the future), the vessels will allow the CMS to undertake more patrols and expand its

presence in disputed areas while attempting to demonstrate that China is merely engaging in legitimate policing activities. The new shipbuilding announcement comes while China is locked in a standoff with the Philippines over Huangyan Island in the South China Sea. The standoff began April 8 when two CMS ships blocked a Philippine warship from boarding eight Chinese fishing vessels anchored in the contested region. While both Manila and Beijing have publicly committed to resolving the standoff diplomatically, the situation remains tense and Chinese authorities say they are prepared for an escalation by Manila. The Chinese have proven adept at using their maritime enforcement vessels to patrol the EEZ. The number of incidents involving maritime disputes between China and its neighbors has increased since 2008 and the five major maritime agencies have been at the forefront of China's attempts to uphold its interests, particularly in the South China Sea. In March 2009, for example, Chinese maritime enforcement vessels aggressively maneuvered around a U.S. surveillance ship, the USNS Impeccable. According to the Pentagon, the Impeccable was conducting routine operations in the South China Sea, but Beijing claimed that the vessel was spying on China. The growing capabilities of China's maritime enforcement agencies allow Beijing to strengthen its presence within China's claimed maritime territory and to better position itself to respond to any clash, such as the current Huangyan Island standoff with Manila. China's bolstered maritime enforcement fleet and assertive maneuvering will increase the likelihood of maritime confrontation in a region rife with other claimants.