ID :
197642
Wed, 07/27/2011 - 15:03
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/197642
The shortlink copeid
China confirms its first aircraft carrier being refitted
HONG KONG, July 27 (Yonhap) -- China said Wednesday that it is refitting an imported aircraft carrier body, confirming foreign speculation that the country will soon launch its own aircraft carrier.
The Chinese Ministry of Defense admitted the former Soviet carrier Varyag 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 will stick to the road of peaceful development. Defending national security and sovereignty over the state's territorial sea is the duty of China's armed forces," Geng Yansheng, spokesman for the defense ministry, said in a press conference held in Beijing.
"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."
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 Chinese defense ministry, however, did not disclose when it will display its carrier, saying it will depend on the progress of the project.
"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 Ministry of Defense admitted the former Soviet carrier Varyag 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 will stick to the road of peaceful development. Defending national security and sovereignty over the state's territorial sea is the duty of China's armed forces," Geng Yansheng, spokesman for the defense ministry, said in a press conference held in Beijing.
"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."
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 Chinese defense ministry, however, did not disclose when it will display its carrier, saying it will depend on the progress of the project.
"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.
