China turns to the sea, 1912–1990

Summary

ABSTRACT.The modern Chinese navy, established by the Nationalist government in 1928, was ruined by the Japanese invasion. Reconstructed after the war with transferred U.S., British and Canadian ships, it disintegrated during the civil war when key units defected, opening the way to the Communist victory. Only after the retreat to Taiwan did the Nationalist government build up an effective modern navy. The communists, meanwhile, kept their own warships divided between different fleets to minimize the danger of mutiny. Not till the 1990s were they fully liberated from Russian technology. Now backed by a wealthy economy, the Chinese navy is able to support an expansionist policy at sea, but it is still not fully trusted by the régime.

RÉSUMÉ.La marine chinoise moderne, établie par le gouvernement nationaliste en 1928, fut complètement détruite par l'invasion japonaise puis reformée après la guerre grâce au transfert de navires américains, britanniques et canadiens. Pendant la guerre civile, elle se désintégra à nouveau par la désertion des unités principales, ouvrant la voie à la victoire communiste. Ce ne fut qu'après sa retraite vers Taiwan que le gouvernement nationaliste parvint à construire une marine moderne et efficace. Dans le même temps, les communistes gardèrent leurs propres navires de guerre séparés entre différentes flottes pour minimiser le danger lié à la mutinerie. Ils ne furent entièrement libérés de la technologie russe que dans les années 1990. Soutenue par une économie solide, la marine chinoise peut désormais défendre une politique expansionniste en mer mais n'est toujours pas complètement acceptée par le régime.

During the 19^thcentury, China endured many maritime defeats, including the first and second Opium Wars(1839–1841, 1856–1860), the Sino-French conflict(1884–1885), and the first Sino-Japanese War(1894–1895). As a result, China lost its formerly unchallenged position as Asia's hegemon. During much of the 20_thcentury, China's almost constant civil wars meant that its naval forces were often divided, sometimes into as many as half a dozen competing fleets. Fear of naval mutiny, the opposing demands of a land power versus an emerging sea power, and great power competition with Russia on its land border, and with the United States and its allies on the sea, have challenged the naval development of warlord, Nationalist, and Communist governments alike.