Michael A. McDevitt

A lot of detail here on how China is growing a blue water navy with global reach and what might be its goals with such power. In December 2008, China's People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA(N)) embarked on a historic mission to combat piracy in the Gulf of Aden. That proved to be a start, the germ of the naval power now an implicit threat to Taiwanese independence. Friction also has occurred with Vietnam, The Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, etc. as power is projected onto neighbor's continental show more shelves and over features not recognized territory by international law, such as the Spratly Islands and Paracel Islands. show less