Admiral Beez
Major
With the RN's CSG recent sailing into the China Sea it's only a matter of time before China returns the favour and sails a CSG into the North Atlantic, presumably via Suez from their base in Djibouti and through the English Channel on a visit to Russia, including perhaps Kaliningrad. Why would China bother? Same reason Roosevelt sent the Great White Fleet on a world wide tour, a demonstration of capability and arm flexing.
How will the West react? Of course the obvious answer is nothing, the West will officially ignore the matter, claiming that China is welcome to use the open oceans as much as anyone else, including the West in the China Sea. But this will be the first time a PLAN carrier force operates in the North Atlantic. Besides Russia which countries might welcome a port visit? Perhaps Nigeria, where China has trade and military ties. It's a funny thing how all of Africa wanted to be shod of European colonialism only to replace it with Chinese overseers two generations later. There's also Brazil, China's leading investment in South America. Meanwhile, the Sun is reporting that China will, ahem rule the Atlantic... China to dominate Atlantic with navy bases across Africa, warns US general
Idiots at the Sun aside, the CSG I propose would include at least one SSN, estimated as follows:
1x CV, Shangdong (44 aircraft)
1 x Shang-class SSN
3 x Type 055 destroyers
2 x Type 901 fast combat support ship
Would a PLAN visit to Venezuela, including discussions on a fleet base provoke a Munroe Doctrine reaction from Washington? Chinese-Venezuelan relations have been picking up.
If I was running the PLAN, the final destination would be St. Petersburg, Russia. Trips enroute would be to the PLAN base at Djibouti, then into Suez, followed by a stop at the Russian naval base in Syria. A single PLAN destroyer will break away and enter the Bosporus for a visit to Sevastopol and Georgia, the latter of which has strong trade ties with China. Once the destroyer returns, the PLAN CSG sails for Libya, where China maintains strong military and trade ties and where China hopes to grow influence. From here it's into the Atlantic, up the English Channel and into the Baltic for a visit to St. Petersburg and a naval fleet review with the Russian navy. On display will be the latest Russian submarines, weaponry and icebreakers (China has arctic aspirations) for sale (or license) to China. After a week in Russia, the PLAN fleet sales to Equatorial Guinea to continue or finalize talks on building a PLAN base here. I would expect a few additional PLAN vessels will have sailed direct from China for this visit to remain behind as the CSG departs. From here, the CSG sails to Venezuela to refuel and conduct political and trade talks and military exercises. From here, it's through the Panama Canal, with a brief stop in Peru (China's 4th largest arms customer) and then a long sail back to China.
Such a global tour combined with the establishment of the Equatorial Guinea base would be a strong demonstration to the West that China is a world, not regional naval power, and would definitely rattle the USA and its allies. That's why China would bother.
How will the West react? Of course the obvious answer is nothing, the West will officially ignore the matter, claiming that China is welcome to use the open oceans as much as anyone else, including the West in the China Sea. But this will be the first time a PLAN carrier force operates in the North Atlantic. Besides Russia which countries might welcome a port visit? Perhaps Nigeria, where China has trade and military ties. It's a funny thing how all of Africa wanted to be shod of European colonialism only to replace it with Chinese overseers two generations later. There's also Brazil, China's leading investment in South America. Meanwhile, the Sun is reporting that China will, ahem rule the Atlantic... China to dominate Atlantic with navy bases across Africa, warns US general
Idiots at the Sun aside, the CSG I propose would include at least one SSN, estimated as follows:
1x CV, Shangdong (44 aircraft)
1 x Shang-class SSN
3 x Type 055 destroyers
2 x Type 901 fast combat support ship
Would a PLAN visit to Venezuela, including discussions on a fleet base provoke a Munroe Doctrine reaction from Washington? Chinese-Venezuelan relations have been picking up.
If I was running the PLAN, the final destination would be St. Petersburg, Russia. Trips enroute would be to the PLAN base at Djibouti, then into Suez, followed by a stop at the Russian naval base in Syria. A single PLAN destroyer will break away and enter the Bosporus for a visit to Sevastopol and Georgia, the latter of which has strong trade ties with China. Once the destroyer returns, the PLAN CSG sails for Libya, where China maintains strong military and trade ties and where China hopes to grow influence. From here it's into the Atlantic, up the English Channel and into the Baltic for a visit to St. Petersburg and a naval fleet review with the Russian navy. On display will be the latest Russian submarines, weaponry and icebreakers (China has arctic aspirations) for sale (or license) to China. After a week in Russia, the PLAN fleet sales to Equatorial Guinea to continue or finalize talks on building a PLAN base here. I would expect a few additional PLAN vessels will have sailed direct from China for this visit to remain behind as the CSG departs. From here, the CSG sails to Venezuela to refuel and conduct political and trade talks and military exercises. From here, it's through the Panama Canal, with a brief stop in Peru (China's 4th largest arms customer) and then a long sail back to China.
Such a global tour combined with the establishment of the Equatorial Guinea base would be a strong demonstration to the West that China is a world, not regional naval power, and would definitely rattle the USA and its allies. That's why China would bother.
