Chinese naval shipbuilding program according to the Dutch newspaper Het nieuws van den dag 1 May 1908

From Shanghai was by the newspaper Morning Post a tiding received that the Chinese cabinet intended to reorganize and strengthen her navy. There were 3 new squadrons to be formed consisting each of a battleship, 2 cruisers of the 1st class, 4 or 5 cruisers of the 2nd class cruisers, 5 cruisers of the 3rd class and further gunboats, torpedo boats and one or two submarines. New taxes were needed to finance this program.