Chinese navy launches new homegrown destroyer – China’s latest political and current affairs news
A summary of the top news in Chinese politics and current affairs for June 28, 2017. Part of the daily The China Project newsletter, a convenient package of China’s business, political, and cultural news delivered to your inbox for free. Subscribe here.
After the debut of China’s first homegrown aircraft carrier in April, BBC News reports that on June 28, the PLA Navy launched a new type of domestically designed and built warship. The 10,000-ton class missile destroyer is equipped with new air defense, anti-missile, anti-ship, and anti-submarine weapons. According to the Global Times, the vessel is “a symbol of the Chinese navy’s strategic transformation,” and “will greatly enhance the PLA Navy’s combat and ground attack capabilities.”
While the PLA Daily’s article (in Chinese) does not mention the warship’s name or type, previous reports suggest that it might be a Type 055 guided-missile destroyer, which in some areas has a better combat capability than the U.S. Navy’s Arleigh Burke-class Aegis destroyer, and will play a crucial role for Chinese military to form an advanced anti-missile system.
