Ivan Eland--What's Up With China? #3394

Ivan Eland says the threat from China's lone aircraft carrier has been overstated. The world's media is touting the "coming out" party for China's aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. The carrier and its's entourage of escorting destroyers and frigates made a splash when they left the first island chain behind and sallied forth into the open Pacific Ocean past Taiwan and Okinawa. The ship and its battle group are symbolically headed to the South China Sea, where China has territorial disputes with several nations. But it takes years and years to develop the expertise necessary to wage carrier based war and China certainly doesn't have it yet. Perhaps Trump's idea of a closer relationship with Russia isn't so off the wall.