Shipbuilders turn Navy into a top global power

As the year draws to a close, I am reminded of what I did earlier this year. I bought a book on the history of China's naval arsenal by one of my acquaintances, a writer knowledgeable about the subject. The book reveals how old were the ships and submarines of the People's Liberation Army Navy 10 years ago.

There were only a handful of surface vessels in the PLA Navy that had modern air-defense systems at that time. The Navy's submarines were antiquated and made loud noises, the Achilles' heel in underwater operations.

Fortunately, this awkward situation is now a thing of the past. Thanks to a higher level of awareness of Navy's significance and rising investment, the nation's shipbuilding industry has been rapidly catching up with its counterparts in strong naval powers. It has also provided a large fleet of advanced ships and submarines to the PLA Navy.