China's first aircraft carrier began its second sea trial on Tuesday after undergoing refurbishments and testing, the government said, as tensions over maritime territorial disputes in the region ran high.
It will be a long time before China has a carrier to challenge one of ours in a fight. They have much to learn from this ship for operating a carrier.
If China wants to use it in a fight in the near term, I'm torn over what they'd do with it.
Will they dangle it like bait northeast of Taiwan to delay our Navy and get our admirals salivating over the prospect of sinking an enemy carrier? China learned what they can from the engineering side already, I imagine, so losing a second-hand Russian carrier if it buys them the time to conquer Taiwan is a small price.
Or would the Chinese load it with marines and helicopters as an amphibious warfare ship to get more of the first wave ashore on Taiwan?
One of the two, I'd think. Because it isn't going to wrest control of the western Pacific from us and our allies.
