China tells builders to make civilian ships suitable for military use

From GMA News (Jun 18): China tells builders to make civilian ships suitable for military use

The government of China has approved a plan requiring all civilian shipbuilders to design their new vessels to be "suitable for military use" in case of an "emergency," a state-owned newspaper said.

Citing the China Classification Society, China Daily reported that the implementation of the plan "will enable China to convert the considerable potential of its civilian fleet into military strength."

The development comes as China said it will soon complete some of its land reclamation projects in the disputed South China Sea, parts of which Manila refers to as the West Philippine Sea.

According to the report, the plan also seeks to "greatly enhance the PLA's (People's Liberation Army) strategic projection and maritime support capabilities."

"Modern naval warfare often requires the mobilization and deployment of a large number of ships while the mass production of naval ships in peacetime is not economically sensible," the report quoted Cao Weidong, a researcher at the PLA Naval Military Studies Research Institute, as saying.

"Therefore, it is a common practice that shipbuilders reserve some military application platforms on their civilian vessels so they can serve the navy in wartime," he said.

The Technical Standards for New Civilian Ships to Implement National Defense Requirements is the result of the five-year joint effort by the society's Shanghai Specifications Institute and ship experts from the People's Liberation Army's Nanjing Military Command, the report said.

The approved guidelines cover five categories of vessels - container, roll-on/roll-off, multipurpose, bulk carrier and break bulk.

Shipbuilders will receive funds to cover the additional costs of building ships suitable for military use as well as insurance in case of damage, the report said, once the National Defense Transport Law is enacted.

The Philippine government has repeatedly expressed its concern over the reclamation projects of China in the South China Sea.

Aside from China and the Philippines, Brunei, Malaysia, Taiwan, Vietnam also have overlapping claims in the South China Sea.

Meanwhile, the Philippine Navy has begun its naval exercises under the Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) 2015 from June 18 to June 30 with the United States Navy.

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/506462/news/nation/china-tells-builders-to-make-civilian-ships-suitable-for-military-use