China’s People’s Liberation Army recently labeled U.S. and Japanese destroyers as “enemy vessels” in a military display. The display comes as tensions continue to increase between China and the United States and Taiwan.
According to the South China Morning Post, the People’s Liberation Army’s display was noticed in April by a visitor in Taizhou, which is located in China’s Jiangsu province. The outlet noted that the display was featured on a Nanjing Type 052D guided-missile destroyer for an open day for China’s navy.
The South China Morning Post reported that the Nanjing Type 052D guided-missile destroyer is part of the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s Eastern Theater Command, which is responsible for guarding the Taiwan Strait.
“The YJ-18A anti-ship missile is a new vertically launched, long-range cruise missile now deployed by the navy,” China’s display stated, according to the South China Morning Post. “It can strike large and medium-sized enemy surface vessels such as the US Arleigh Burke-class and Japan’s Atago-class destroyers using supersonic trajectories, possessing a high penetration probability and accuracy, significantly enhancing the PLA Navy’s maritime dominance capabilities.”
The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s sign added that the guided-missile destroyer was equipped with “supersonic trajectories, possessing a high penetration probability and accuracy, significantly enhancing the PLA Navy’s maritime dominance capabilities.”
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The South China Morning Post reported that while China’s previous displays have featured generic missile specifications for its navy ships, this display was the first time U.S. and Japanese destroyers had been labeled as “enemy vessels.” The outlet noted that Wang Yanan, an aviation expert at Beihang University, said the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s display was not typical of the Chinese military.
“Naming US and Japanese main warships explicitly indicates internal consensus,” Wang stated. “Navy officers clearly have total confidence that their ships and weaponry can defeat the named opponents and achieve ultimate victory in any conflict.”
According to the South China Morning Post, the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s sign was discovered on the same day that the USS William P. Lawrence Arleigh Burke-class destroyer was observed navigating through the Taiwan Strait.
At the time, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, a People’s Liberation Army PLA Eastern Theatre Command spokesman, confirmed that China had monitored the U.S. destroyer and had taken “lawful countermeasures.” Shi blamed the United States for “distorting facts, misinterpreting legal principles, confusing the public, and misleading international perceptions” and warned the U.S. against “provocative distortions.”
“Encouraging ‘Taiwan independence’ damages peace and stability and will only backfire,” Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense, added. “We urge the US to stop stoking tensions.”
