China Builds Navy Base

China is building a navy base on its southern island of Hainan,according to a Pentagon assessment.The base appears large enough to accommodate a mix of attack and ballistic missile submarines,as well as advanced surface combatant ships,the report states.It goes on to say that the port has underground facilities and would provide the Chinese navy with direct access to vital international sea lanes,and offers the potential for stealthy deployment of the submarines into the deep waters of the South China Sea.China is working toward building its first aircraft carrier,and is augmenting its fleet of attack submarines.China is also building up its stock of highly accurate cruise missiles.This military expansion is regarded as curious,since no one is directly threatening China at the moment.Just what these programs are for remains a puzzle to the Defense Department analysts.