Chinanews, Beijing, Jan. 12 – A military expert recently points out that marine security, space security, and electromagnetic space security have all become an important part of national security. Chinese armed forces should, in an all-round way, improve their capabilities of safeguarding national security and national development interest. At present, they face an even more urgent task to improve their ability of safeguarding Chinese marine security.
Lin Zhiyuan, a researcher at the People’s Liberation Army Academy of Military Sciences, told the reporter that as the Chinese economy makes rapid progress, China is involved in more and more disputes with other countries over marine rights and interests. In Nansha Islands (also called "Spratly Islands" in the West Sea area), some countries have invaded into the Chinese isles and reefs to exploit oil and natural gas resources. In Beibu Bay, Vietnam intends to exploit oil and natural gas resources in marine areas where there is dispute over their ownership between China and Vietnam. Vietnam has already signed some contracts with companies from the United States, Japan and France to exploit the oil resources in these disputed areas. Japan also tries every means to exploit the oil resources in the East China Sea. On many occasion, Chinese fishermen were illegally arrested by Japanese police while fishing there. Some times, they were even shot at by Japanese police.
The security issue of marine passages is very important in that they guarantee China’s national development interests. In China, overseas trade volume has accounted for nearly half of China’s GDP figure. Therefore it becomes increasingly important to ensure that these marine areas remain safe and open for Chinese marine trade activities, he said.
“At present, China’s self-defense capabilities in marine areas are still weak and can’t sufficiently protect China’s national security in these areas. In order to safeguard China’s national development interests and expand its security boundary, China should establish a marine awareness and implement a marine strategy,” he said.