New | It’s official: China building second aircraft carrier as concern mounts over claims to South China Sea
The vessel, the country’s second after the Liaoning, will be built entirely using domestic technology and is aimed at boosting Beijing’s military clout
China is building its second aircraft carrier – its first domestically made one – the Defence Ministry confirmed yesterday as the country seeks to boost its naval capability amid rising regional tension.
Defence ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said the carrier was being designed entirely using domestic technology and would be built in the port of Dalian in Liaoning province.
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“China has a long coastline and a vast maritime area under our jurisdiction. To safeguard our maritime sovereignty, interests and rights is the armed forces’ sacred mission,” Yang said.
The confirmation came after months of speculation by military experts and in media reports.
Yang said the vessel’s design drew on experiences from China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, bought from Ukraine in 1998 and refitted on the mainland.
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Similar to the Liaoning, the new carrier will be conventionally powered, with a standard displacement of 50,000 tonnes, and will be able to operate the J -15 fighter jet. It will use a ski-jump take-off – a relatively outdated launch method – despite military analysts’ assessment that China was capable of building a more advanced catapult system.