First made-in-China aircraft carrier, the Shandong, officially enters service
- The country’s second carrier is commissioned by President Xi Jinping in southern Hainan province
- Ceremony marks significant step forward in China’s plan to expand its navy’s power amid tensions in sensitive areas such as South China Sea and Taiwan Strait
China’s first home-built aircraft carrier was officially commissioned by President Xi Jinping on Tuesday as Beijing flexed its military muscles.
The new warship will be called the Shandong and its formal entry into service is a significant milestone in the country’s efforts to build up its naval power.
This drive has been viewed warily by its neighbours and the United States in light of tensions in strategically sensitive areas such as the Taiwan Strait and South China Sea.
The state broadcaster CCTV reported that the ceremony in Sanya, a port in the southern island province of Hainan, was attended by officials from the Southern Theatre Command which oversees the South China Sea.
The ship’s captain will be Lai Yijun, who previously commanded the frigate Lianyungang, while its political commissar will be Pang Jianhong, who served on the destroyer Xian. Both are senior colonels.
Xi inspected an honour guard during the ceremony and met service personnel on board the warship. Other senior officials, including Vice-Premier Liu He, Xi’s chief of staff Ding Xuexiang, China’s top economic planner He Lifeng, and chief of the joint staff department Li Zuocheng, also attended the ceremony.