Dear Sirs:
The PLAN's continued focus on FAC's belies the fact that up to now, China's maritime strategy is basically one of SHORE and COAST defense.
Small vessels with little or no endurance, with limited ability to operate in heavy seas far away from shore and supply, and far away from shore-based air cover at that, merely serve to confirm this.
Only now is the PLAN even attempting long-range operations, the anti-piracy escort missions of the Gulf of Aden come to mind.
And thus only now is the PLAN learning to operate her larger, blue-water naval assets, the new DDG's, FFG,'s, SSK's, SSN's, etc.
Still her naval strategy remains defensive and limited (suiting her limited priorities and resources), the so-called operations up to the 1st chain of islands.
Even as her fledgling navy learns the ropes, it has found that modern naval open-ocean operations require sophisticated vessels and systems.
Immediately the first thing that comes to mind is the provision of sufficient fuel and supplies for the fleet, which meant the creation of underway refueling, replenishment and resupply vessels.
Next comes air-cover for the fleet, which of course implies carriers. Then there is anti-submarine warfare, anti-mine warfare, and of course the need for hospital care.
After assembling all of this, the need to physically take or secure marine areas and islands, means using marines, with landing vessels etc.
As you can see, nothing demonstrates power projection like a maritime task force.
