China is building the world’s largest nuclear submarine facility

In Parallel – The module assembly hall is well equipped, with gantry cranes for lifting SSN modules in position and parallel rails for moving completed hull sections further down the assembly line. Once fully operational, the assembly line could enable China to at least match USN SSN production. [BSHIC]

 

It can build four subs at a time.

Starting later this year, China’s new submarine factory on the Yellow Sea will churn out nuclear-powered attack submarines—also known as SSNs—all but ensuring that the sub program of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) will be a deadly global force.

Chinese Military Vice Chairman Urges Troops to Get Ready For Combat: Xinhua

While it is unclear how much of it is populist bluster, how much is posturing, and how much an actual, objective caution, Bloomberg points out an article by China’s news agency Xingua posted on the website of the Ministry of National Defense, in which Fan Changlong, vice chairman of China’s Central Military Commission (which is chaired by Xi Jinping himself) “urges Chinese troops to get prepared for combat by improving planning, equipment and logistical support in order” to be ready to “win the war.”

Bloomberg adds that Fan made the comments in recent inspection tour of China’s Southern Theater Command. The warning comes days after China officially warned the US that its patrols in the South China Sea – which despite last week’s decision by the Hague tribunal – deems as its own, could end in “disaster.”

China Develops Fourth-Generation Nuclear Sub

China completed the development of its fourth-generation nuclear submarine, media reports said late last week. At a recent meeting in Ordos, Inner Mongolia, Tan Zuojun, vice governor of Liaoning Province and former general manager of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, said that development of China’s fourth-generation nuclear submarines and other high-tech weapons had been completed.

North Korean hackers operating secretly in China, says defector

Chinese involvement is a must due to the lack of capability in its North Korean proxy. Although China will always give the ‘unaware’ excuse, nothing of this scale goes on without prior knowledge, especially the Sony cyberattack.

 

An underground network of North Korean hackers are conducting complex cyberattacks against worldwide targets from Chinese cities without the knowledge of Beijing, according to a former professor who trained them. Kim Heung-Kwang was a professor of computer science in North Korean capital Pyongyang, until his defection in 2004.

He told CNN on Tuesday that part of his job was training members of North Korea’s elite cyberintelligence corps, whose task was to compromise computer systems around the world. Kim alleged that some of the hackers joined a specialized outfit called Bureau 121.

China building its own aircraft carrier: party official

Taipei, Jan. 18 (CNA) The first aircraft carrier built entirely by China is being constructed in the northeastern city of Dalian, a Communist Party official said Saturday, confirming for the first time that the Chinese are building the vessel from scratch.

Wang Min, party secretary in Liaoning Province, made the disclosure during a meeting of the provincial people’s congress, according to the online edition of the Chinese-language Takungpao daily in Hong Kong.

Risky Business

Being that North Korea is a proxy state for China, it’s not likely that the Communist ally would launch a war without permission from their handlers in the CCP. That’s of course not to say it would diminish the likelyhood they’d get the green light as China itself would surely take up preparations long beforehand, for any eventuality as a result.

Military buildup in China near North Korean border continues as tanks, armored vehicles spotted

China continued moving tanks and armored vehicles and flying flights near North Korea this week as part of a military buildup in the northeastern part of the country that U.S. officials say is related to the crisis with North Korea.

Border Patrol — China mobilizing troops, jets near Korea

China has placed military forces on heightened alert in the northeastern part of the country as tensions mount on the Korean peninsula following recent threats by Pyongyang to attack, U.S. officials said.

Reports from the region reveal the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) recently increased its military posture in response to the heightened tensions, specifically North Korea’s declaration of a “state of war” and threats to conduct missile attacks against the United States and South Korea.

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The Chinese military activities near North Korea were detected in Jilin Province, and intelligence reports from the area on March 19 indicated that PLA forces were ordered to go to “Level One” alert status, the highest level of readiness.