The new carrier is slightly larger than the Liaoning, China's first aircraft carrier, constructed by the Soviet Union as a Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier and refitted by the Chinese. China also displayed its first nuclear-powered submarine and announced a tour of a fleet to than 20 countries in celebration, according to China Daily. The vessel also houses a ski jump-style deck for take offs, which experts say is cheaper to run than the catapults used by the US, but limits the diversity of aircraft on board to smaller fighter jets.
The ship will accommodate more J-15 fighter jets, carry China's most advanced S-band radar and feature four batteries of HQ-10 short-range air-defence missiles, Mr Ni said. China still needs to debug equipment, finish outfitting the ship, and conduct comprehensive trials. And while it may be at least three years away from active duty, its launch is yet another sign that China is preparing to aggressively defend its territorial claims in the disputed South China Sea.
The new carrier is so strikingly similar to the Liaoning aircraft carrier that many are calling it the Liaoning upgrade. When commissioned, this will be the nation's first domestically-built carrier. Details about the aircraft carrier are not available since it is a state secret.
Who: Vice chairman of China's Central Military Commission and Communist Party Central Committee, Fan Changlong, presided over the launch.
Unlike the USA navy's longer-range nuclear carriers, both of China's feature Soviet-design so-called ski-jump bows, meant to give fighter jets enough lift to take off from shorter decks.
Putting the carrier into water marks progress in China's efforts to design and build a domestic aircraft carrier.
Experts saw the new carrier as a signal from Beijing that it was ahead of naval capabilities among all Asian countries. Reports suggest the new aircraft carrier also boasts of a ski jump and angled flight deck to allow aircrafts to take off with greater ease.
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The BBC observes that China's carriers are "technologically inferior" to the ten carriers now operated by the United States Navy, relying on conventional instead of nuclear power, but still represent a major step forward in both technological innovation and military power for China.
China's new carrier will not be heading off into the seas alone when it is fully operational. Rather than a military threat, the carriers are more of an indirect challenge to US influence in the region.
Geng told reporters at a daily news conference: "The goal to develop national defense forces including the navy is to safeguard our national sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as the peace of the world".
However, China's naval strength is still far behind that of the US.
Bitzinger adds that while China still lags behind the United States, the launch highlights the terrific strides it has made in carrier development.
China's military is also eying more aircraft carriers to enhance its capabilities.
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