Voice of America (VOA) recently reported that China’s first aircraft carrier is approaching the stage of final delivery. The report saw this as a major milestone in China’s effort to modernize its military –despite the fact that the aircraft carrier is just a refit of the long-retired Ukrainian aircraft carrier “Varyag.” It is widely believed that this new addition to China’s Navy will be used mainly for training purposes and as a reference for future aircraft carrier designs. The real-world battlefield capabilities are far behind the ship’s counterparts in today’s U.S. Navy. The VOA report also mentioned the worries expressed in the media on the part of China’s neighboring countries, such as Taiwan and South Korea.
Source: Voice of America, April 9, 2011
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20110409-China-First-Aircraft-Carrier-119529679.html