Varyag Aircraft Carrier Comes to China

A few days ago, I listened to two episodes of the podcast Qianliang Hutong about the Varyag aircraft carrier. I didn’t pay much attention at first, as the three hosts of Qianliang Hutong often make jokes, and I’m not fond of their podcast style. However, since the usual podcasts I listen to, such as Ban Latte, Silicon Valley 101, Business Like This, and History of Science Talk, had no new content, I reluctantly gave Qianliang Hutong a try. To my surprise, the story of the Varyag coming to China was far more complicated and unexpected than I had previously known.

I’m not a military enthusiast, but I occasionally pay attention to special military equipment, especially the aircraft carrier series from Professor Wu Qingping’s History of Science Talk, which I always finish when there’s a new episode. I don’t remember whether the Varyag was mentioned in that podcast, but I vaguely recall that the Varyag was purchased by a Hong Kong businessman from Ukraine, and later donated to the country, eventually being refitted into the Liaoning.

The version told in Qianliang Hutong made me realize that what I knew before did not match the actual history. Was their version credible? It turned out to be very trustworthy. The hosts of Qianliang Hutong mentioned that their version was based on Li Zhongxiao’s long-form report literature The Varyag Aircraft Carrier Comes to China. Li Zhongxiao, a former submarine officer in the Navy, retired as a first-class writer at the Navy Political Department’s creative studio. He was a member of the Chinese Writers Association and the Chinese Reportage Literature Society. Having spent his entire career in the military, his work is truly credible.

So, I obtained a copy of The Varyag Aircraft Carrier Comes to China and read it in one go. Indeed, the story of the Varyag coming to China is entirely different from what I had thought. To put it simply, here are a few key facts:

• Initially, the military did consider purchasing the Varyag, but no action was taken.
• When the Varyag was about to be sold for scrap, there was a split in the opinions of China’s leadership, and the country’s aircraft carrier plans were shelved. Both buying and building an aircraft carrier were taboo topics. However, He Pengfei, the deputy commander of the Navy and the son of He Long, believed that owning an aircraft carrier was crucial for the Navy. He stated that no one had ever sold an aircraft carrier to China, and it would be the only opportunity for China to have one. He proposed the idea of finding a wealthy Hong Kong businessman to purchase the aircraft carrier and wait for the country to take over when necessary.
• It is unclear how Hong Kong businessman Xu Zengping got in touch with He Pengfei, but Xu’s primary motivation for getting involved in the aircraft carrier purchase plan was to make money. He also intended to exploit the situation for personal gain, spending much of the funds raised for the purchase on frivolous activities.
• Xu Zengping indeed arranged for Shao Chun to meet He Pengfei, which solidified Shao Chun’s determination to support the purchase of the aircraft carrier. Shao Chun, Zhang Yong, Gao Zengxia, and others, driven by national sentiment and commercial interests, became involved in the plan, and this led to a joint effort between the state and private sector to purchase the aircraft carrier.
• In order to purchase the aircraft carrier from Ukraine, the real financial backer, Huaxia Securities, had to continuously invest additional funds. In the end, about 320 million yuan was spent to bring the aircraft carrier to Dalian Port.
• The fate of the Varyag aircraft carrier changed due to interference by a Taiwanese fraudster and the tense situation in the Taiwan Strait. Ultimately, the state took action and retrieved the aircraft carrier from the Ukrainian Black Sea shipyard.
• The Varyag was then converted into China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning.

Looking back at the entire affair, the story of the Varyag coming to China is filled with drama and unexpected twists. The key figures involved in the event make their appearances one by one. In moments of great importance and crucial decisions, the courage and vision of the lesser-known individuals were not necessarily inferior to, and sometimes even superior to, those of the more prominent ones. Although Li Zhongxiao tried to restore the truth through interviews, it can be seen from the article that, since the Varyag became the Liaoning, almost everyone has exaggerated their national sentiments and inflated their roles in the event, while downplaying the contributions of others. If the ship had not been taken over by the state, the words and attitudes of these people in the interviews might have been drastically different. If this story were made into a documentary or movie, it would definitely be fascinating.

Among all the characters, I believe that Zhang Yong was the most genuine, patriotic, and responsible. Zhang Yong gave the impression of being practical and grounded from the very first moment.