People ' s Liberation Army Navy The People ' s Liberation Army Navy ( PLAN or PLA Navy ) ( ) is the naval branch of the People ' s Liberation Army ( PLA ) , the military of the People ' s Republic of China . Until the early 1990s , the navy performed a subordinate role to the PLA Land Forces . Since then , it has undergone rapid modernisation . It is currently the second largest naval service in the world after the United States Navy . With a personnel strength of over 250 , 000 , the PLAN also includes the 35 , 000 strong Coastal Defense Force and the 56 , 000 man Naval infantry / Marines , plus a 56 , 000 PLAN Aviation naval air arm operating several hundred land - based aircraft and ship - based helicopters . As part of its overall program of naval modernization , the PLAN has a plan of developing a blue - water navy . Mission . Peacetime : Wartime : History . The PLAN traces its lineage to units of the Republic of China Navy who defected to the People ' s Liberation Army towards the end of the Chinese Civil War . In 1949 , Mao Zedong asserted that " to oppose imperialist aggression , we must build a powerful navy . " During the Landing Operation on Hainan Island , the communists used wooden junks fitted with mountain guns as both transport and warships against the Republic of China Navy . The Naval Academy was set up at Dalian on November 22 , 1949 , mostly with Soviet instructors . The navy was established in September 1950 by consolidating regional naval forces under General Staff Department command in Jiangyan , now in Taizhou , Jiangsu province . It then consisted of a motley collection of ships and boats acquired from the Kuomintang forces . The Naval Air Force was added two years later . By 1954 an estimated 2 , 500 Soviet naval advisers were in China — possibly one adviser to every thirty Chinese naval personnel — and the Soviet Union began providing modern ships . With Soviet assistance , the navy reorganized in 1954 and 1955 into the North Sea Fleet , East Sea Fleet , and South Sea Fleet , and a corps of admirals and other naval officers was established from the ranks of the ground forces . In shipbuilding the Soviets first assisted the Chinese , then the Chinese copied Soviet designs without assistance , and finally the Chinese produced vessels of their own design . Eventually Soviet assistance progressed to the point that a joint Sino - Soviet Pacific Ocean fleet was under discussion . 1950s and 1960s . Through the upheavals of the late 1950s and 1960s the Navy remained relatively undisturbed . Under the leadership of Minister of National Defense Lin Biao , large investments were made in naval construction during the frugal years immediately after the Great Leap Forward . During the Cultural Revolution , a number of top naval commissars and commanders were purged , and naval forces were used to suppress a revolt in Wuhan in July 1967 , but the service largely avoided the turmoil affecting the country . Although it paid lip service to Mao and assigned political commissars aboard ships , the Navy continued to train , build , and maintain the fleets . 1970s and 1980s . In the 1970s , when approximately 20 percent of the defense budget was allocated to naval forces , the Navy grew dramatically . The conventional submarine force increased from 35 to 100 boats , the number of missile - carrying ships grew from 20 to 200 , and the production of larger surface ship s , including support ships for oceangoing operations , increased . The Navy also began development of nuclear - powered attack submarine s ( SSN ) and nuclear - powered ballistic missile submarine s ( SSBN ) . In the 1980s , under the leadership of Chief Naval Commander Liu Huaqing , the navy developed into a regional naval power , though naval construction continued at a level somewhat below the 1970s rate . Liu Huaqing was an Army Officer who spent most of his career in administrative positions involving science and technology . It was not until 1988 that the People ' s Liberation Army Navy was lead by a Naval Officer . Liu was also very close to Deng Xiaoping as his modernization efforts were very much in keeping with Deng ' s national policies . While under his leadership Naval construction yards produced fewer ships than the 1970s , greater emphasis was placed on technology and improved quality . Modernization efforts also encompassed higher educational and technical standards for personnel ; reformulation of the traditional coastal defense doctrine and force structure in favor of more green - water operations ; and training in naval combined - arms operations involving submarine , surface , naval aviation , and coastal defense forces . Examples of the expansion of China ' s capabilities were the 1980 recovery of an intercontinental ballistic missile ( ICBM ) in the Western Pacific by a twenty - ship fleet , extended naval operations in the South China Sea in 1984 and 1985 , and the visit of two naval ships to three South Asian nations in 1985 . In 1982 the navy conducted a successful test of an underwater - launched ballistic missile . The navy also had some success in developing a variety of surface - to - surface and air - to - surface missile s , improving basic capabilities . In 1986 the Navy ' s order of battle included two Xia - class SSBN s armed with twelve CSS - N - 3 missiles and three Han - class SSNs armed with six SY - 2 cruise missile s . In the late 1980s , major deficiencies reportedly remained in antisubmarine warfare , mine warfare , naval electronics ( including electronic countermeasures equipment ) , and naval aviation capabilities . The PLA Navy was ranked in 1987 as the third largest navy in the world , although naval personnel had comprised only 12 percent of PLA strength . In 1987 the Navy consisted ( as it does now ) of the naval headquarters in Beijing ; three fleet commands — the North Sea Fleet , based at Qingdao , Shandong ; the East Sea Fleet , based at Ningbo ; and the South Sea Fleet , based at Zhanjiang , Guangdong — and about 2 , 000 ships . The 350 , 000 - person Navy included Naval Air Force units of 34 , 000 men , the Coastal Defense Forces of 38 , 000 , and the Marine Corps of 56 , 500 . Navy Headquarters , which controlled the three fleet commands , was subordinate to the PLA General Staff Department . In 1987 , China ' s 1 , 500 km coastline was protected by more than 100 diesel - powered Romeo - and Whiskey - class submarines , which could remain at sea only a limited time . Inside this protective ring and within range of shore - based aircraft were destroyers and frigates mounting Styx antiship missiles , depth - charge projector s , and guns up to 130 mm . Any invader penetrating the destroyer and frigate protection would have been swarmed by almost 900 fast - attack craft . Stormy weather limited the range of these small boats , however , and curtailed air support . Behind the inner ring were Coastal Defense Force personnel operating naval shore batteries of Styx missiles and guns , backed by ground force units deployed in depth . Into the 21st century . As the 21st century approached , the PLAN began to transition to an off - shore defensive strategy that entailed more out - of - area operations away from its traditional territorial waters . Between 1989 and 1993 , the training ship " Zhenghe " paid ports visits to Hawaii , Thailand , Bangladesh , Pakistan , and India . PLAN vessels visited Vladivostok in 1993 , 1994 , 1995 , and 1996 . PLAN task groups also paid visits to Indonesia in 1995 ; North Korea in 1997 ; New Zealand , Australia , and the Philippines in 1998 ; Malaysia , Tanzania , South Africa , the United States , and Canada in 2000 ; and India , Pakistan , France , Italy , Germany , Britain , Hong Kong , Australia , and New Zealand in 2001 . In March 1997 , the " Luhu " - class guided missile destroyer " Harbin " , the " Luda " - class guided missile destroyer " Zhuhai " , and the replenishment oiler " Nancang " began the PLA Navy ' s first circumnavigation of the Pacific Ocean , a 98 - day voyage with port visits to Mexico , Peru , Chile , and the United States , including Pearl Harbor and San Diego . The flotilla was under the command of Vice Admiral Wang Yongguo , the commander - in - chief of the PLAN South Seas Fleet ( SSF ) . The " Luhu " - class guided missile destroyer " Qingdao " and the replenishment oiler " Taicang " completed the PLA Navy ' s first circumnavigation of the world " ( pictured ) " , a 123 - day voyage covering between 15 May and 23 September 2002 . Port visits included Changi , Singapore ; Alexandria , Egypt ; Aksis , Turkey ; Sevastopol , Ukraine ; Piraeus , Greece ; Lisbon , Portugal ; Fortaleza , Brazil ; Guayaquil , Ecuador ; Callao , Peru ; and Papeete in French Polynesia . The PLA naval vessels participated in naval exercises with the French frigates " Nivôse " and " Prairial " , as well as exercises with the Peruvian Navy . The flotilla was under the command of Vice Admiral Ding Yiping , the commander - in - chief of the North Sea Fleet ( NSF ) , and Captain Li Yujie was the commanding officer of the " Qingdao " . Overall , between 1985 and 2006 , PLAN naval vessels visited 18 Asian - Pacific nations , 4 South American nations , 8 European natons , 3 African nations , and 3 North American nations . In 2003 , the PLAN conducted its first joint naval exercises during separate visits to Pakistan and India . Bi - lateral naval exercises were also carried out with exercises with the French , British , Australian , Canadian , Philippine , and United States navies . On December 26 , 2008 , the PLAN dispatched a task group consisting of the guided missile destroyer " Haikou " ( flagship ) , the guided missile destroyer " Wuhan " , and the supply ship " Weishanhu " to the Gulf of Aden to participating in anti - piracy operations off the coast of Somalia . A team of 16 Chinese Special Forces members from its Marine Corps armed with attack helicopters were on board . Since then , China has maintained a three - ship flotilla of two warships and one supply ship in the Gulf of Aden by assigning ships from the South Sea Fleet and / or East Sea Fleet to the Gulf of Aden on a three monthly basis . PLAN operations has been marred by the 2001 Hainan Island incident , a major submarine accident in 2003 , and several naval incidents involving the U . S . MSC - operated ocean surveillance ships and during 2009 . Current status . Strategy , plans , priorities . The People ' s Liberation Army Navy has become more prominent in recent years owing to a change in Chinese strategic priorities . The new strategic threats include possible conflict with the United States and / or a resurgent Japan in areas such as the Taiwan Strait or the South China Sea . As part of its overall program of naval modernization , the PLAN has a long - term plan of developing a blue water navy . Current modernizations , however , represent a naval force that is best suited to cooperation rather than competition with other world powers . Robert D . Kaplan has said that it was the collapse of the Soviet Union that allowed China to transfer resources from its army to its navy and other force projection assets . China is constructing a major underground nuclear submarine base near Sanya , Hainan . In December 2007 the first Type 094 submarine was moved to Sanya . The Daily Telegraph on 1 May 2008 reported that tunnels were being built into hillsides which could be capable of hiding up to 20 nuclear submarines from spy satellites . According to the Western news media the base is reportedly to help China project seapower well into the Pacific Ocean area , including challenging United States naval power . During a 2008 interview with the BBC , Major General Qian Lihua , a senior Chinese defense official , stated that the PLAN aspired to possess a small number of aircraft carriers to allow it to expand China ' s air defense perimeter . According to Qian the important issue was not whether China had an aircraft carrier , but what it did with it . However , as of yet only certain military personalities have stated China indeed plans to build or acquire aircraft carriers and there has , as of yet , been no official evidence of an active and advancing aircraft carrier program . At the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the PLAN , 52 vessels were shown in manoeuvres off Qingdao in April 2009 including previously unseen nuclear submarines . The demonstration was seen as a sign of the growing status of China , while the president , Hu Jintao , indicated that China is neither seeking regional hegemony nor entering an arms race . On January 13 , 2009 , Adm . Robert F . Willard , head of the U . S . Pacific Command , called the PLAN ' s modernization " aggressive , " and that it raised concerns in the region . On July 15 , 2009 , Senator Jim Webb of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee declared that only the " United States has both the stature and the national power to confront the obvious imbalance of power that China brings " to situations such as the claims to the Spratly and Paracel islands . The PLAN " continues to exhibit limitations or weaknesses in several areas , including capabilities for sustained operations by larger formations in distant waters , joint operations with other parts of China ’ s military , C4ISR systems , anti - air warfare ( AAW ) , antisubmarine warfare ( ASW ) , MCM , and a dependence on foreign suppliers for certain key ship components . " 2008 Anti - piracy operations . On 18 December 2008 , Chinese authorities deployed People ' s Liberation Army Navy vessels to escort Chinese shipping in the Gulf of Aden . This deployment came after a series of attacks and attempted hijackings on Chinese vessels by Somali pirates . Reports suggest two destroyers ( Luyang II - Class 171 Haikou and Luyang - Class 169 Wuhan ) and a supply ship are the ones being used . This move was welcomed by the international community as the warships complement a multinational fleet already operating along the coast of Africa . It will be the first time Chinese warships have deployed outside the Asia - Pacific region for a military operation since Zheng He in the 15th century . Since this operation PLAN has sought the leadership of the ‘ Shared Awareness and Deconfliction ’ body ( SHADE ) , which would require an increase in the number of vessels contributing to the anti - piracy fleet . Organization . The PLAN is organized into several departments for efficient command , control and coordination . Equipment . The PLAN initially utilized Soviet - based hardware as the backbone of their forces , with increasing domestic production over time . In the last several years , the PRC has made progress in modernizing its fleet with the purchase of Sovremenny class destroyer s and Kilo class submarine s , as well as producing sophisticated domestic designs such as the Lanzhou class destroyer s and the Yuan class submarine s . China ' s submarine fleet has also made advances . The Song and Yuan - class subs are quieter than their predecessors and the Kilo - class subs are equipped with two next - generation weapons : the Klub anti - ship cruise missile and the VA - 111 Shkval torpedo . Some Chinese submarines , including the Kilo and Yuan , are also thought to have air - independent propulsion , which would allow them to remain submerged for longer periods of time than they could previously maintain . Chinese naval technology has improved , in part due to Russia n assistance . Its latest destroyers use more local hardware of an improved quality , such as better fire - control systems , stealth technology in their hull designs to reduce their radar profile , and C4ISR systems . However , despite these rapid advances , roughly half of China ' s major combat vessels and the bulk of the smaller vessels are still from older , obsolescent classes and not replaced by newer ones . Future fleet . The PLAN ' s ambitions include operating out to the first and second island chains , as far as the South Pacific near Australia , and spanning to the Aleutian islands , and operations extending to the Straits of Malacca near the Indian Ocean . Modernizing the fleet into a blue water navy will also provide better power projection in not only the region but globally in the 21st century . Chinese naval analysts also feel the need to develop a navy capable of countering force projection by the United States Navy or capable of handling a potential conflict with Taiwan . The future PLAN fleet will be composed of a balance of assets aimed at maximising the PLAN ' s fighting effectiveness . On the high end , there would be modern destroyers equipped with long range air defense missiles ( Type 052B , Type 052C , Type 051C ) ; destroyers armed with supersonic anti - ship missiles ( Sovremenny class ) ; advanced nuclear powered attack and ballistic missile submarines ( Type 093 , Type 094 ) ; advanced conventional attack submarines ( Kilo and Yuan ) ; aircraft carriers and large amphibious warfare vessels capable mobilizing troops at long distances . On the medium and low end , there would be more economical multi - role capable frigates and destroyers ( upgraded Luda , Luhu , Jiangwei II , Jiangkai ) ; fast littoral missile attack craft ( Houjian , Houxin , Houbei ) ; various landing ships and light craft ; and conventionally powered coastal patrol submarines ( Song ) . The future fleet will have the obsolete combat ships ( based on 1960s designs ) phased out in the coming decades as more modern designs enter full production . It may take a decade for the bulk of these older ships to be retired . Until then , they will serve principally on the low end , as multi - role patrol / escort platforms . Their use could be further enhanced in the future by being used as fast transports or fire support platforms . This system of phasing out would see a reversal in the decline in quality of PLAN vessels by 2015 , and cuts in inventory after the end of the Cold War could be made up for by 2020 . During 2001 - 2006 there has been a rapid building and acquisition program . There were more than a dozen new classes of ships built in these last five years , totalling some 60 brand new ships ( including landing ships and auxiliaries ) . Simultaneously , dozens of other ships have been either phased out of service or refitted with new equipment . There had been speculation about the PLAN building or acquiring an aircraft carrier , but on March 23 , 2009 China ' s defense minister , Liang Guanglie , confirmed the country ' s plans to build its own aircraft carrier . Submarines play a significant role in the development of the PLAN ' s future fleet . This is made evident by the construction of a new type of nuclear ballistic missile submarine , the Type 094 and the Type 093 nuclear attack submarine . This will provide the PLAN with a more modern response for the need of a seaborne nuclear deterrent . The new submarines will also be capable of performing conventional strike and other special warfare requirements . Ronald O ' Rourke of the Congressional Research Service reported that the long term goals of PLAN planning include : During the military parade on the 60th Anniversary of the People ' s Republic of China , the YJ - 62 naval cruise missile made its first public appearance ; the YJ - 62 represents the next generation in naval weapons technology in the PLA . References .