The outfitting process of China’s first self-produced aircraft carrier is underway, Defense Ministry spokesperson Wu Qian said at a regular press briefing on Thursday.
Wu made the remark when asked for the latest news about China’s first domestically produced aircraft carrier, which will also be the country’s second carrier after the Liaoning.
There have been reports saying the carrier will be launched on the national Navy Day on April 23, on which the People’s Liberation Army of China (PLA) is expected to celebrate the founding of its naval army.
In response to the report, Wu said it would not take long for further “good news” to be announced.
Military experts told CGTN that the new naval vessel will be China's first combat-ready carrier, and is likely to be based somewhere near the South China Sea to handle “complicated situations” with the United States. The Liaoning would likely remain a training ship for future carrier crews.
The Liaoning, a renovated former Soviet ship originally launched in 1988, entered PLA service in 2012.
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