The Naval Vessels Naming Regulation is a regulation that governs the naming of vessels of the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy. It was published by the PLAN on November 18, 1978, and was revised on July 10, 1986.[1]
The regulation states that surface combatants above cruiser class (i.e. battleships and aircraft carriers) shall be named by the State Council on a case-by-case basis while others are named after geographical locations:[2]
| Ship | Named after |
|---|---|
| Cruisers and aircraft carriers | Chinese provinces |
| Destroyers | Major Chinese cities |
| Frigates | Minor Chinese cities |
| Nuclear submarines | Changzheng followed by a serial number |
| Ballistic and cruise missile armed conventional submarines | Yuanzheng followed by a serial number |
| Conventional submarines | Changcheng followed by a serial number |
| Mine warfare ship | Chinese prefectures |
| Submarine chasers and corvettes | Chinese counties |
| Dock & tank landing ships | Chinese mountains |
| Other landing ships | Chinese rivers |
| Replenishment ships | Chinese lakes |
| Research ships | Chinese scientists |
| Training ships | Chinese naval officers |