China's first carrier enters service amid naval tensions

China’s first aircraft carrier entered service on Tuesday, the defence ministry in Beijing said, as the country expands its blue-water fleet at a time of increasing maritime tensions in the region.

President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao attended a “commissioning” ceremony for the 300-metre vessel, state media said.

The former Soviet ship that was bought from Ukraine was renamed Liaoning after the northeastern province that is home to China’s main naval port city of Dalian, where it was refitted.

The commissioning makes China the last permanent member of the United Nations Security Council to have an aircraft carrier, and comes as Beijing’s economic and political significance grows.

Numerous sea trials of the aircraft carrier – which was previously known by China only as Number 16 – since August last year were met with concern from regional powers including Japan and the United States, which called on Beijing to explain why it needed such a ship.

“The PLA’s general armament department, the navy and all comrades participating in the carrier programme should make new contributions in promoting China’s weaponry construction and safeguarding national sovereignty, security and territorial integrity,” Wen said at the ceremony in Dalian.