China claims to have mastered the technology to build large aircraft carriers
China claims to have the expertise and technology to design and build aircraft carriers larger than the Liaoning.
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China's domestically built aircraft carrier 001A. Photo: Xinhua |
"We have all the necessary expertise in design, technology, engineering, manufacturing and project management to produce an advanced aircraft carrier. We are ready to build large-sized aircraft carriers,"China Dailytoday quoted a statement by Mr. Liu Zheng, director of Dalian Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (DSIC).
Earlier this week, China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation (CSIC), the parent company of DSIC, also confirmed that it is developing technologies for building nuclear-powered aircraft carriers. There is currently very little information about China's aircraft carrier program, which is considered a state secret.
CSIC is the manufacturer of China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, the 001A. The ship was launched in April 2017 and is expected to be commissioned in 2020, after being equipped with weapons. The 001A is based on the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, which was converted from an old ship purchased from Ukraine.
Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged last October to transform the country’s military into a world-class fighting force by 2050. He has made technological development a pillar of the new policy, investing in stealth fighters, aircraft carriers and missiles.