PLA Air Force armament dept needs financial attention: chief

China must devote more resources to developing strategic bombers as a way to safeguard the nation's maritime interests, Yuan Qiang, chief of the PLA Air Force's armament department and member of the National People's Congress, said in an interview with national broadcaster China National Radio.

A modern PLA Navy with aircraft carriers, destroyers, frigates and submarines will not be enough to make China a maritime superpower, said the chief. To soldify China's ability to project its forces overseas, the PLA needs more strategic bombers, large cargo planes, early warning and air-refueling aircraft.

It is now the time for China to show its determination to create a strong strategic air force, he said.

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