China commissions new-generation frigate as competition rises with US

TAIPEI, Taiwan — China’s navy has commissioned a new-generation frigate as competition rises with the U.S. and other regional powers, saying the ship will “play a vital role in enhancing the overall combat effectiveness” of its forces.

China already has the world’s largest navy in terms of number of hulls, although its technology is sometimes seen as lagging. Its largest competitor, the U.S., has warned its navy could be outnumbered and has called for a building program as well as reforms to put damaged ships into action sooner.

China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy operates mainly in waters off the Chinese east coast and in the huge and strategically crucial South China Sea , which China claims almost in its entirety. A key mission also remains backing up the army in any attack on Taiwan, the self-governing island democracy about 100 miles off the Chinese coast that Beijing has vowed to annex by force if necessary.

The first Type 054B frigate, christened the Luohe, was commissioned Wednesday in Qingdao, a port city in northern China where the PLAN’s northern fleet is based.

The ship has a displacement of approximately 5,000 tons and includes stealth technology, combat command systems and firepower integration, “significantly enhancing overall performance,” China’s navy said.

“With strong capabilities for comprehensive combat operations and diverse military missions, the warship will play a vital role in enhancing the overall combat effectiveness of naval task forces,” it added.

The Luohe’s armaments include a variety of machine guns for close combat and antiair and antiship missiles, according to defense publications, some of which say the ship could become the backbone of the Chinese navy.

The statement said nothing about future 054Bs, but at least two more are believed to have been launched and another is under construction. China has around 234 warships compared to the U.S. Navy’s 219, including around 50 frigates and the same number of destroyers. China has two operating aircraft carriers and another undergoing sea trials, along with a massive and powerful coast guard.

Recent war games have shown China would lose many more vessels in a simulated clash with the U.S., but would be able to absorb the losses and continue fighting.

The PLAN has also sent ships further abroad, including the Mediterranean Sea and the Caribbean in its attempts to use its navy as an extension of its growing economic and diplomatic clout. PLAN and Chinese coast guard ships have also patrolled the East China Sea, where China claims a group of uninhabited islands controlled by Japan. While planes and ships from both sides have come into contact, no shots have been fired during such incidents.

The U.S. and other nations have deliberately sailed close to islands, some of them human-made, to challenge China’s claim to them. Beijing has ignored a U.N.-backed court’s ruling that threw out most of China’s territorial claims.

台湾台北——随着与美国和其他地区大国的竞争日益激烈，中国海军已接收了一艘新一代护卫舰，并表示该舰将在“提高其部队的整体作战效能方面发挥至关重要的作用”。

中国海军舰艇数量位居世界第一，但其技术有时被认为落后。其最大的竞争对手美国警告称，其海军数量可能落后于中国，并呼吁中国加快造船步伐，同时进行改革，以便更快地将受损舰艇投入使用。

中国人民解放军海军主要在中国东部沿海海域以及幅员辽阔、战略地位极其重要的南海活动。中国声称对南海几乎全部海域拥有主权。其一项关键任务仍然是支援陆军应对任何针对台湾的攻击。台湾是一个位于中国海岸约100英里处的自治岛屿民主政体，北京已誓言如有必要将以武力吞并。

首艘 054B 型护卫舰“漯河”号于周三在中国北方港口城市青岛下水服役，中国人民解放军海军北方舰队就驻扎于此。

中国海军表示，该舰排水量约为5000吨，融合了隐身技术、作战指挥系统和火力集成，“显著提升了整体性能”。

声明还补充说：“该军舰具备强大的综合作战能力和执行多样化军事任务的能力，将在提高海军特遣部队的整体作战效能方面发挥至关重要的作用。”

据国防出版物报道，“漯河”号的武器装备包括各种用于近战的机枪以及防空和反舰导弹，其中一些出版物称该舰可能成为中国海军的中坚力量。

声明中并未提及未来的054B型潜艇，但据信至少已有两艘下水，另有一艘正在建造中。中国拥有约234艘军舰，而美国海军拥有219艘，其中包括约50艘护卫舰和相同数量的驱逐舰。中国拥有两艘现役航空母舰，另有一艘正在进行海试，此外还拥有一支规模庞大、实力雄厚的海警队伍。

最近的战争演习表明，在模拟与美国的冲突中，中国会损失更多的舰艇，但能够承受这些损失并继续战斗。

中国人民解放军海军还向更远的海域派遣舰艇，包括地中海和加勒比海，试图利用其海军力量拓展日益增长的经济和外交影响力。中国人民解放军海军和中国海警舰艇也曾在东海巡逻，中国声称对东海一些无人居住的岛屿拥有主权，这些岛屿目前由日本控制。尽管双方的飞机和舰艇曾有过接触，但在这些事件中并未发生交火。

美国和其他国家曾故意驶近一些岛屿（其中一些是人工岛），以挑战中国对这些岛屿的主权声索。北京方面无视联合国支持的法院驳回中国大部分领土主张的裁决。