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China's Navy gets its first aircraft carrier
TASS-TVTOKYO, September 23 (Itar-Tass) - China's first aircraft
carrier entered into service of the country's Navy on Sunday, local
media has reported.
It was rebuilt from Ukraine's aircraft carrier Varyag that Beijing
bought back in 1998.
Last year the vessel, which will get its new name in honour of
Liaoning, China's northeastern province where it was rebuilt,
underwent sea trials, making ten sea voyages and conducting trainings
with ship-based aircraft.
According to Chinese military officials, the aircraft carrier will be
mainly used for training purposes. Within the upcoming years Beijing
plans to build several more aircraft carriers that will be fully
designed and manufactured in China.
China's aircraft carriers will significantly influence the alignment
of forces in the region. In particular, Tokyo keeps a close watch on
expansion of the Chinese fleet's presence in the Pacific Ocean,
especially in the light of the territorial dispute over the Senkaku
Islands, also known as the Diaoyu Islands in China that recently
aggravated.
TASS-TVTOKYO, September 23 (Itar-Tass) - China's first aircraft
carrier entered into service of the country's Navy on Sunday, local
media has reported.
It was rebuilt from Ukraine's aircraft carrier Varyag that Beijing
bought back in 1998.
Last year the vessel, which will get its new name in honour of
Liaoning, China's northeastern province where it was rebuilt,
underwent sea trials, making ten sea voyages and conducting trainings
with ship-based aircraft.
According to Chinese military officials, the aircraft carrier will be
mainly used for training purposes. Within the upcoming years Beijing
plans to build several more aircraft carriers that will be fully
designed and manufactured in China.
China's aircraft carriers will significantly influence the alignment
of forces in the region. In particular, Tokyo keeps a close watch on
expansion of the Chinese fleet's presence in the Pacific Ocean,
especially in the light of the territorial dispute over the Senkaku
Islands, also known as the Diaoyu Islands in China that recently
aggravated.