中国最新駆逐艦加入南海艦隊服役

Last month the Yomiuri News on-line reported the following:

中国最新鋭ミサイル駆逐艦が就役、南海艦隊へ

　【広州＝吉田健一】中国国営新華社通信などによると、同国海軍の最新鋭ミサイル駆逐艦０５２Ｄ型の一番艦「昆明」（全長約１５７メートル、満載排水量約７０００トン）が２１日、就役した。

　南シナ海を管轄する南海艦隊に配備される見通し。

　２２日付の中国系香港紙・文匯報は、０５２Ｄ型は他の駆逐艦と比べレーダー性能が大幅に強化され、対空、対艦戦闘能力ともに向上したと指摘した。海軍は数年以内に同型艦約１０隻を配備するとみられている。

　上海で２１日行われた昆明の就役式典には、呉勝利・海軍司令官が出席した。

（2014年3月22日18時06分  読売新聞）

(試譯文)

According to the national China Xinhua News Agency etc., the country’s state-of-the-art missile-guided destroyer 052D type No. 1 battle ship "Kunming" of the navy (about 157 meters in full length, full load displacement about 7000 tons) was commissioned on the 21^st (March).

It was expected to be deployed in the South Sea Fleet which had the jurisdiction over the South China Sea.

A China affiliated Hong Kong newspaper the Wen Wei Po dated the 22nd showed that the ship’s radar performance was greatly strengthened compared with other destroyers, and the anti-air and combat efficiency were improved for a warship of the 052D type. It was expected that the navy would be equipped with about ten same-type battle ships within several years.

Wu Shengli the naval commander had attended the commission ceremony of “Kunming” held in Shanghai on the 21st.

(18:06 on March 22, 2014    Yomiuri Shimbun)

Clearly China is continuing to strengthen its navy in order to help handling the territorial disputes with Vietnam and the Philippines over the South China Sea.