A state-run Chinese newspaper has suggested China to take military action against Australian warships over the South China Sea dispute.

The Global Times editorial piece, entitled ‘Paper cat Australia will learn its lesson’, describes Australia as a “an offshore prison of the UK and then became its colony, a source of raw materials, overseas market and land of investment.”

The piece goes on to say:

“China must take revenge and let it know it’s wrong. Australia’s power means nothing compared to the security of China. If Australia steps into the South China Sea waters, it will be an ideal target for China to warn and strike.”

The Royal Australian Navy fleet is made up of 47 commissioned warships as of January 2016.

The main strength is the eleven frigates of the surface combatant force: eight Anzac class and three Adelaide class. Six Collins class boats make up the submarine service, although due to the maintenance cycle not all submarines are active at any time.

Amphibious warfare assets include two Canberra-class landing helicopter dock ships and the landing ship HMAS Choules. Thirteen Armidale class patrol boats perform coastal and economic exclusion zone patrols, and four Huon class vessels are used for minehunting and clearance (another two are commissioned but in reserve since October 2011). Replenishment at sea is provided by two ships, Sirius and Success, while the two Leeuwin class and four Paluma class vessels perform survey and charting duties.

There are approximately 496 ships active in the People’s Liberation Army Navy, this figure does not include the 232 various auxiliary vessels of the PLAN.

A summary of ship types in service with the PLAN include an aircraft carrier, amphibious transport docks, landing ship tanks, landing ship medium, destroyers, frigates, corvettes, missile boats, submarine chasers, gunboats, mine countermeasures vessels, replenishment oilers and various auxiliaries. In addition, there are also nuclear and conventional submarines presently in service.

George Allison
George has a degree in Cyber Security from Glasgow Caledonian University and has a keen interest in naval and cyber security matters and has appeared on national radio and television to discuss current events. George is on Twitter at @geoallison

69 COMMENTS

  1. Just Try it you TRAITOR….recently Chinese-America Electronics Tech just admitted stealing top secret material and bring it to the mainland China the paper said. If you attack Australian warship maybe they can also defend & strike back.

  2. Ok, reading these comments, which I accept is personal opinion, are at the very best contrite and ignorant. The Royal Navy is and always will be at the cutting edge of military hardware. We don’t need the number of ships as we did in the 40s/50s, we have modern weapons and delivery systems. The training is second to none. The future capability is successor, type 26, QEC. The Royal Navy does indeed rule the waves!

  3. Teresa may needs to point out that we are linked to Australia and their head of state is our queen so any actual attack on them would be an attack on us and and economic future endeavours like nuclear power plants would have to be scrapped and they would lose billions because trust me it’s all about the money in some form ,the Chinese are all month and just want to act like big boys in the world but they are nothing in military terms they don’t want to fight anyone with their sub standard copy military equipment.

  4. Such big news – I haven’t anything about it and I live in Australia. Having said that I love this country and Australians would NEVER back away from a fight if they had to go in to battle. Never have, never would.

  5. Australia’s defence forces,including the RAN,need to be onguard at all times,they should ditch any blase ‘she’ll be right’ attitude in dealing with any potential Chinese threats

  6. I have always thought that after the last war the people who received the least justice were the Chinese and it was the greatest pity that they ended up under the communist banner. The West ended up with Japan as an ally, JAPAN, who had committed war crimes above horror!
    For instance I did have the honour of knowing, as a family friend, an army captain who had survived the Burma/Siam railway, also an uncle who was vey badly wounded at Kohima. The captain did not last long, his health was broken. What I did hear from these men probably did colour my thinking about Japan.

  7. China, you screw with one and I mean one Australian warship and you are going to have a damn bad day, because we are going to JUMP IN with BOTH FEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! USA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  8. I will tune down my responses, okay… The South China seas are becoming a real hot bed and China’s made made islands don’t help. There again, climate change may solve the problem for us.. 😉

  9. The authors of this article have apparently never read the text of the ANZUS and SEATO mutual defense treaties. Just as with NATO, an attack on a member nation is an attack of all signatories. China would find itself in hostilities with countries all around them.

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