Chinese expert says Japan interferes with PLA navy’s training

October 15, 2012 China Military News

2012-10-15 — On the afternoon of Oct. 4, 2012, seven Chinese naval warships passed through the international waters between Okinawa and Miyako and headed for the Pacific for an ocean-going exercise, which caused vigilance of Japanese side. Hong Kong media outlets speculated that the activity of Chinese submarines on the First Island Chain and even Pacific Ocean is about to open to the public. In this regard, Rear Admiral Yin Zhuo, director with the Chinese Navy Advisory Committee for Informatization, said in an interview with the People’s Daily online that it is very common that Chinese submarines departed from the First Island Chain to carry out exercises and the ocean-going exercise was determined by the depth of water. Meanwhile, Yin warned Japanese side to treat the routine training of Chinese navy rationally.

Depth of water determined the training of Chinese navy in ocean-going regions

According to news released by Japanese Defense Ministry, seven Chinese warships passed through the water channel between Okinawa and Miyako on Oct. 4, which include guided missile destroyers, frigates, submarine rescue ships and depot ships. The foreign media paid close attention to the participation of submarine rescue ships in the training, speculating that there might be submarines in Chinese naval warships. “The Sun,” a Hong Kong-based newspaper, also said on Oct. 8 that the public debut of Chinese submarine rescue ships might imply Chinese submarines’ coming out into the open on the First Island Chain and even Pacific Ocean.

To these speculations, Yin said that the water in the continental shelf of the East China Sea is shallow, which is about 100 meters deep in average, and it is unable to meet the training needs of nuclear submarines and large conventional submarines, therefore the Chinese submarines must head for the First Island Chain for exercises in recent years.

The best anti-submarine training place is the sea area in the east of the First Island Chain and behind the Miyako Strait, in which the depth of water reaches 2 to 3 kilometers. It is common that the navy of a country goes to such waters to carry out combat drills and anti-submarine drills on water surface. Yin stressed, “I think any country having naval forces will understand it.”

Japan should treat regular blue water training of China rationally

For a long time, Japan has been tracking and monitoring China’s military exercises on the Pacific Ocean and more than once dispatched surface ships to close to Chinese naval vessels during regular blue water trainings, which seriously interfered with China’s normal exercises.

Japan’s P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft almost scouts about Chinese naval vessels’ sailing on the open seas for one to two times every day. In addition, Japan also monitors and supervises the guided missile tests and target practices of guided missiles, recording the emission frequency of guided missiles and other data. All of these acts show unfriendly attitude. Therefore, Chinese side hopes that Japan can take into consideration the overall situation of China-Japan relations and treat China’s blue water trainings rationally and friendly.