ID :
200237
Wed, 08/10/2011 - 03:58
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/200237
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China tests its first aircraft carrier at sea
HONG KONG, Aug. 10 (Yonhap) -- China started to test its first aircraft carrier on Wednesday, a state news media outlet said, a move likely to add to foreign concerns over its military expansion.
The Chinese government said last month that it is refitting an imported aircraft carrier body, confirming foreign speculation that the country will soon launch its own aircraft carrier.
Xinhua said the refitted former Soviet carrier Varyag left its shipyard at Dalian Port in northeast Liaoning Province to start its first sea trial.
The first sea trial was "in line with schedule of the carrier's refitting project" and will not take a long time, said China's official news agency, citing military sources.
After returning from the sea trial, the aircraft carrier will continue refit and test work, it said.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense said earlier that the new aircraft carrier will be used for scientific research, experiments and training when its refitting is completed.
Beijing has been seeking to increase its military power to a level equivalent to its economic status.
It bought the Russian carrier in 1998 from Ukraine. The People's Liberation Army has also been rumored to have purchased a number of carrier landing systems and dozens of Russian carrier-based aircraft.
"China's research on the development of the aircraft carriers is to promote the capabilities in maintaining peace and safeguarding the national security. China will not change its defense policy or its offshore defense strategies," Geng Yansheng, spokesman for the defense ministry, said last month at a press conference.
Currently, nine countries around the world have a total of about 20 active aircraft carriers of varying sizes. The U.S. is known to have 11 carriers, while Italy has two. Britain, France, Russia, Spain, Brazil, India and Thailand each have one. Japan and South Korea have similar amphibious assault helicopter carriers.
"The timing of revealing the information on the carrier has nothing to do with the South China Sea situation. We all know building a carrier is a complex project that takes a lot of time. It's appropriate that we disclosed some of its information at this period in time," Geng said.
Tensions between China and some Southeast Asian countries have been mounting recently over territorial disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea. China claims the entire sea as its own, while Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan maintain partial or overlapping claims.
The Chinese government said last month that it is refitting an imported aircraft carrier body, confirming foreign speculation that the country will soon launch its own aircraft carrier.
Xinhua said the refitted former Soviet carrier Varyag left its shipyard at Dalian Port in northeast Liaoning Province to start its first sea trial.
The first sea trial was "in line with schedule of the carrier's refitting project" and will not take a long time, said China's official news agency, citing military sources.
After returning from the sea trial, the aircraft carrier will continue refit and test work, it said.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense said earlier that the new aircraft carrier will be used for scientific research, experiments and training when its refitting is completed.
Beijing has been seeking to increase its military power to a level equivalent to its economic status.
It bought the Russian carrier in 1998 from Ukraine. The People's Liberation Army has also been rumored to have purchased a number of carrier landing systems and dozens of Russian carrier-based aircraft.
"China's research on the development of the aircraft carriers is to promote the capabilities in maintaining peace and safeguarding the national security. China will not change its defense policy or its offshore defense strategies," Geng Yansheng, spokesman for the defense ministry, said last month at a press conference.
Currently, nine countries around the world have a total of about 20 active aircraft carriers of varying sizes. The U.S. is known to have 11 carriers, while Italy has two. Britain, France, Russia, Spain, Brazil, India and Thailand each have one. Japan and South Korea have similar amphibious assault helicopter carriers.
"The timing of revealing the information on the carrier has nothing to do with the South China Sea situation. We all know building a carrier is a complex project that takes a lot of time. It's appropriate that we disclosed some of its information at this period in time," Geng said.
Tensions between China and some Southeast Asian countries have been mounting recently over territorial disputes in the resource-rich South China Sea. China claims the entire sea as its own, while Brunei, Malaysia, Vietnam, the Philippines and Taiwan maintain partial or overlapping claims.
