MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency
China readies its first carrier, “a symbol of a great nation”
The carrier is being built on the hull of the former Russian Varyag Chinese military officials have confirmed that the country is completing work on its first aircraft carrier, based on the hull of Russian carrier Varyag.
Speaking to the Hong Kong Commercial Daily, Chen Bingde, the People's Liberation Army chief of the general staff, said the carrier “is being built, but it has not been completed”.
His assistant, Qi Jianguo, said the carrier would remain in Chinese territorial waters and would not be used offensively.
“All of the great nations in the world own aircraft carriers - they are symbols of a great nation,” he said.
The 43,000-ton carrier was only around 60% complete when bought from the Ukraine for $20m in 1998.
It was sold to the Hong Kong-based Chong Lot Trading Company, which said it intended to convert the ship into a floating hotel and casino in Macau.
The ship is expected to go through sea trials this year.
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Read all commentsAnother false story,
Jun 24th, 2011 - 09:06 pm 0this was the worst kept secret in the world,
and its only a basic carrier
And NO it wont help you
or them just yet .l
It was a public secret. Many nations have them such as Area 51 in the US.
Jun 24th, 2011 - 09:09 pm 0You know, for about a decade the BT tower in london was offically a state secret? Lol...
“the carrier would remain in Chinese territorial waters .......”
Jun 25th, 2011 - 08:14 am 0So they have extended the reach of their airpower by a solid 12 miles..... golly...
I was thinking for a mo 'what has this to do with the South Atlantic'... but I see it now ... they are modelling their navy on the Argentinian one..... except the RG one remains in port.......
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