PLA Navy Expands Mission

BEIJING Your Beijing Bible • Insightful and interactive – real voices from the capital’s expat community • Issues, life and style • Culture, eating, nightlife and more Metro Beijing appears in the English edition of the Global Times here in Beijing, Monday to Friday. Nation InDepth Life Business From Cheering on Musical SDR market countryside the carrier glass lacks to college 6 12-13 ceiling 18 liquidity B1 www.globaltimes.com.cn VOLUME 9 • NO. 2273 • MONDAY APRIL 24, 2017 PRICE 2 YUAN Pyongyang gas prices spike on talk of Chinese oil embargo By Liu Xin China may consider cutting oil exports to North Korea to pressure the latter to halt further nuclear and missile tests, as China still hopes to bring Pyongyang back to the negotiating table, experts said. In anticipation of the new, harsher sanctions, gas prices in Pyongyang have spiked by at least 83 percent in the past three days, following months of otherwise stable petroleum prices in Pyongyang, US news site NK News reported Satur- day. Pyongyang residents lined up at gas stations, while some stations closed or could only provide gasoline to vehicles from foreign organizations or diplomats, the report said. “North Korea relies heavily on Chinese oil supplies, and a cut in supplies would strike a blow to the coun- 2 try’s political situa- N.Korea tion as well as the Sailors line up during a ceremony in Shanghai before a three-vessel fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army navy leaves port See also lives of North Ko- for a 20-country friendly visit on Sunday, as the military celebrates the 68th founding anniversary of the navy. Photo: CFP Pages 7, 14 rean people,” Jin Capability to protect interests in open seas improved Inside Top News: French polls won’t affect ties3 Nation: Experts call for PLA navy expands mission registry of drone buyers 4 World: France votes in tight race 7 By Yang Sheng Chinese naval ships left Shanghai in the increase its presence overseas to meet the Asian Review: Dialogue morning for a friendly visit to more than new requirements, military expert Song won’t patch up US-Japan The Chinese navy has expanded its capa- 20 countries. Zhongping said. discords 15 bility to not only safeguard the country’s With the expansion of foreign trade, as As a signature achievement of the navy, Forum: B&R making coastal areas, but also to secure China’s in- well as China’s One Belt and One Road the Liaoning aircraft carrier has gained in advances in South Asia 16 terests in the open seas, 68 years after the initiative, the Chinese navy has taken on a combat capability and finished establishment of the People’s Liberation new mission, which is to protect the coun- its blue sea training, and the Business: China seeks 2 Army (PLA) navy, experts said. try’s overseas interests. Strong country’s first domestically expanded cooperation with Sunday marked the anniversary of the As a consequence, China’s military strat- See also built carrier is also expected to Iran B2 establishment of the navy. A fleet of three egy for the navy has changed and it must Pages 12-13 be launched soon. Address: The Global Times English Edition, 2 Jintai Xilu, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100026 • News Dept: (8610) 65367574 [email protected] • Ads Dept: (8610) 65369595 [email protected] • Subscription Dept: (8610) 65369602 [email protected] Marketing Dept: (8610) 65367665 [email protected] 地址：北京市朝阳区金台西路2号环球时报社英文版 ● 邮政编码：100026 ● 国内统一刊号：CN11-0272 ● 国际标准刊号：ISSN 2095-2678 ● 邮发代号：1-181 2 Monday April 24, 2017 TOPNEWS N.Korea reportedly Stain on marriage mulls sixth nuclear test amid tensions Pyongyang, from Page 1 Qiangyi, director of the Asia Research Center at Yanbian University, told the Global Times on Sunday. In 2003, China’s oil pipeline to North Korea was shut down for three days after a missile launch by the North, adding pressure on Pyong- yang to pull back on nuclear brinkmanship, Re- uters reported. Chinese officials said then it was a “mechanical breakdown.” A US official was quoted by Reuters as saying that an oil embargo is among the tougher sanctions Washington could pursue to counter North Korea’s nuclear and missile program. “The US has always wanted China to impose tougher sanctions on North Korea to force it to give up nuclear tests. China may consider the possibility of cutting oil supplies but would also think about the risks involved,” Jin said. In a state media commentary published on Thursday, North Korea lashed out at China with- out naming the country in unusually pointed rhetoric. The commentary mocked “the country” as “dancing to the tune of the US.” China faces a dilemma between a possible full A woman looks at white wedding dresses displayed as a desecrated symbol by the Lebanese NGO Abaad, to oil embargo on North Korea and deteriorating protest Article 522 of the Lebanese penal code that states a rapist is absolved of his crime if he marries his victim, tensions from further provocative activities by in Beirut, Lebanon on Saturday. The law, in place since the late 1940s, is currently being reviewed by the Lebanese North Korea, Jin said. parliament. Photo: AP Data from the Seoul-based Korea Trade-Invest- ment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) shows North Korea imported 525,000 tons of crude oil from China in 2015. United Nations data shows China also export- Strong navy can deter foreign ed 218,087 tons of refined oil products to North Korea in 2015, about six times what Russia sent. North Korea may turn to Russia or smuggling interference, boost economy if China implements a full oil embargo, but the amount would be far from adequate, compared with what China provides through the pipeline, Jin said. PLA, from Page 1 “open seas protection,” and is build- tecting China’s overseas interests, ing a multi-functional and efficient including Chinese personnel, proj- Another option The visiting fleet from Shang- marine combat force structure. ects, investment and trade routes. Temporarily cutting off oil supplies is proba- hai, composed of missile destroyer The navy will enhance its capabili- In recent years, the navy has proved bly the toughest sanction China could impose on Changchun, missile frigate Jingzhou ties for strategic deterrence and coun- it can successfully execute overseas North Korea, and the possibility China could take and supply ship Chaohu, will tour terattack, maritime maneuvers, joint missions like anti-piracy protection this step is increasing, considering the Chinese Asia, Europe, Africa and Oceania in operations at sea, comprehensive in the Gulf of Aden and evacuations government’s more serious attitude, Li Kaisheng, a trip lasting nearly 180 days, the Xin- defense and comprehensive support. from Libya and Yemen,” said Li Jie, a a research fellow at the Shanghai Academy of So- hua News Agency reported. “Today, the navy has realized the Beijing-based naval expert. cial Sciences, told the Global Times. The visits will convey friendship, strategic transformation to ‘open seas It is necessary for China to de- Li said resolving the Korean Peninsula crisis deepen military communication and protection,’” said Zhang Junshe, a se- velop a modern maritime military relies not only on increasing sanctions from Chi- cooperation and show a good image nior research fellow at the PLA Naval force structure commensurate with na but on whether the US is willing to return to of the Chinese navy, said Miao Hua, Military Studies Research Institute. its national security and develop- the negotiating table with North Korea. Political Commissar of the navy, who ment interests, safeguard its national US President Donald Trump ordered the USS saw the fleet off. All three ships were ‘Offshore waters’ and ‘open seas’ sovereignty and maritime rights and Carl Vinson aircraft carrier-led strike group to pro- domestically built, and this is the “Near-shore defense” means de- interests, protect the security of stra- ceed toward waters off the Korean Peninsula in maiden overseas voyage of the Jing- fense in areas close to China’s land tegic sea lines of communication and response to rising tensions over the North’s nu- zhou, commissioned in 2016. The territory like the South China Sea, overseas interests, and participate in clear and missile tests and threats to the US and other two ships have previously con- Taiwan Strait and the Diaoyu Islands, international maritime cooperation, its Asian allies, Reuters reported. ducted many escort, drill and patrol and in order to meet this require- so as to provide strategic support for North Korea said on Sunday it was ready to missions. ment, the navy has to gain an over- building itself into a maritime power, sink a US aircraft carrier to demonstrate its mili- Aside from friendly communica- whelming advantage at least within the white paper said. tary might, as two Japanese navy ships joined the tion with other countries, the over- the first island chain,” Xu Guangyu, In addition, the navy also bears the US carrier group for exercises in the western Pa- seas visits will provide a valuable a senior advisor to the China Arms highly important duty of securing the cific. opportunity for the navy to learn sea Control and Disarmament Associa- country’s second nuclear strike capa- Experts the Global Times spoke to said there conditions and environments in dif- tion, told the Global Times. bility, Song said. “China’s new-gen- is a strong possibility that North Korea would ferent parts of the world, so the fleet’s “However, we can never say we are eration ballistic missile submarine is conduct a sixth nuclear test or launch missiles officers and sailors will be better pre- fully prepared for a military resolu- now under construction and will be around April 25, the 85th anniversary of the pared for future missions like search tion to the Taiwan question,” Song launched soon.” founding of its military.

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