One of the first lessons Chinese military officers learn is the need for secrecy. Only through stealth, the officers believe, can they exploit enemy weaknesses.
But the clandestine behaviour demanded by military doctrine is at odds with China’s broader political ambitions – to become a great power. It is this dilemma that explains Beijing’s attempt to announce its aircraft carrier programme in a way that nobody will notice.
In May this year the State Oceanic Administration, a body under the Ministry for Land and Resources, stated close to the end of a 574-page report – as if it were a well-known fact – that China had proposed a programme for aircraft carrier construction last year.
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