While Russian legacy systems remain a relevant part of the rapidly expanding Chinese fleet, Alex Luck, an Australia-based analyst who specializes in the People's Liberation Army Navy, told Newsweek they will likely disappear from PLAN service within the next decade or two, "depending on how long particular units remain in service."
China and Russia have formed what Russian President Vladimir Putin once called a partnership without limitations, with both sides providing support—diplomatically and militarily—to each other on issues such as the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and tensions across the Taiwan Strait, as they join hands in countering U.S.-led alliances in Europe and Asia.
As part of efforts to build a "world-class" military aimed at displacing the U.S. as the world's most powerful nation, China has undergone naval modernization—supported by a robust shipbuilding capacity—and fields a fleet of more than 370 ships and submarines, including three aircraft carriers, eight 10,000-ton-class destroyers and 60 submarines.
