I can hear the sound of Jeffrey rushing to book a plane ticket. Or at least asking his programme assistant to do so. From the NYT:
A senior Chinese naval officer said that China would unveil its nuclear submarines to the public on Thursday as part of an international review of the country’s naval fleet “aimed at promoting understanding about China’s military development,” according to a report by Xinhua, the state news agency.
The appearance of the submarines, in the northeastern port city of Qingdao, would be the first time that China had publicly shown the vessels. They are among the most powerful ships in the Chinese Navy.
The officer, Vice Adm. Ding Yiping, deputy commander of the Chinese Navy, told Xinhua in an interview on Monday that “suspicions about China’s being a ‘threat’ to world security are mostly because of misunderstandings and lack of understandings about China.”
He added, “the suspicions would disappear if foreign counterparts could visit the Chinese Navy and know about the true situations.”
The Guardian article on this story has perahps the funniest erratum I have ever seen:
This article was amended on Friday 24 April 2009. Due to an editing error, the original version of this article said that Chinese nuclear submarines had gained prominence in recent battles with Somali pirates. This has been corrected.
But, all is forgiven because of their pics.
“the suspicions would disappear if foreign counterparts could visit the Chinese Navy and know about the true situations.”
…
They’re actually vertical flower launch tubes? The submarines are used to deliver ponies to little girls?
What a strange thing to say.
Also, a classic Grauniad correction that.
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=grauniad
Maybe the Chinese are just trying to reassure their allies…
Wow, that SSB sure looks like a Soviet Project 667BD (Delta II) boat.
….The US gets a lot of international soft power by parading our pretty weapons systems for all the world to see. The Soviet Air Force was a nebulous grainy force that was easy to paint as an ogre as the Russians tried to cover up as much as they could from the world. While the West showed their beautiful aircraft for all the world to see and admire. Maybe the Chinese are getting the world ready to accept the sight of Chinese weapons as non-threatening just as the West does.
Why didn’t they show up last October when I was in Qingdao?!!
Besides having submarines, Qingdao has great beer! Try the unfiltered version if you ever get a chance.
The four subs are all of different types. Is this a historic overview or a display of prototypes?
Why didn’t they show up last October when I was in Qingdao?!!
— Geoff Forden
There is a JL-1 SLBM in Qingdao’s Navy Museum. Have you seen it?