"China's Second Aircraft Carrier Deploys" Topic

By Philip Wen
Dec. 17, 2019 10:50 am ET

BEIJING—China's first home-built aircraft carrier was commissioned into active service by President Xi Jinping at a military base on the edge of the South China Sea, the latest milestone in the country's endeavors to rapidly modernize its military and become a world-class naval power.

In its flagship evening newscast on Tuesday, state broadcaster China Central Television aired footage of a beaming Mr. Xi clambering aboard the warship in a commissioning ceremony attended by some 5,000 soldiers and officials at a naval base in Sanya, on the southern island of Hainan—which state media noted was "on the doorstep of the South China Sea."

The commissioning of the carrier, named Shandong after the eastern Chinese province, also represents the first time China has deployed an aircraft carrier in the hotly contested waters, where Beijing has asserted its territorial claims.

"Aircraft carriers are symbolic of a country's military strength," CCTV said. "Our country may have started late, but our development momentum is swift. After the first home-built aircraft carrier, there will be more and more advanced carriers to follow."

The ceremony comes a day before Mr. Xi arrives in Macau to mark Friday's 20th anniversary of the former Portuguese colony's return to Chinese rule—and weeks ahead of presidential elections in Taiwan, the democratically self-governed island that Beijing claims as its territory.

The carrier sailed through the strategically sensitive Taiwan Strait last month, with U.S. and Japanese navy vessels on its tail, before proceeding to the South China Sea for what the Chinese Navy said then were "scientific tests and routine drills."

Taipei condemned the move, which came as the country's elections were shifting into high gear. Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said on Twitter that the aircraft carrier's transit through the strait showed China "intends to interfere with Taiwan's elections" but that "voters will not be intimidated."

China's ruling Communist Party has never renounced the use of force to bring Taipei under Beijing's rule.

The Shandong is the People's Liberation Army Navy's second aircraft carrier overall, putting China into an exclusive club of nations, along with the U.K. and the U.S., with multiple aircraft carriers, though it still lags far behind the U.S.'s 11 carriers. The Shandong first launched in 2017 and began sea trials last year; some analysts said the trial phase took longer than expected, suggesting it had encountered technical difficulties.

The aircraft carrier can carry up to 36 J-15 jet fighters, compared with 24 on the Liaoning, China's first carrier, which was bought second hand from Ukraine in 1998 and retrofitted into an active ship in September 2012. The Soviet-era vessel was originally planned to be used as a floating hotel and casino in Macau.

Previous state media reports have indicated a third aircraft carrier is already under construction, as Beijing ramps up its naval power to safeguard its expanding interests at home and abroad.

"Having one carrier in the east and another in the south will ensure fast reaction time when the presence of an aircraft carrier is needed," the state-run Global Times newspaper said.

Among the senior officials attending the ceremony in Sanya were some who aren't typically closely associated with military affairs, including top economic planner He Lifeng and Vice Premier Liu He, who is leading trade negotiations with the U.S.

—Lekai Liu contributed to this article.

Write to Philip Wen at philip.wen@wsj.com

Hmmm, you'd think they'd invite sailors and other naval personnel to a commissioning like this, instead of "soldiers". Perhaps the writer of the article doesn't understand the difference.

This "….represents the first time China has deployed an aircraft carrier in the hotly contested waters, where Beijing has asserted its territorial claims".

Actually, that is incorrect. Their first carrier has sailed thru and conducted ops in the SCS.

""Having one carrier in the east and another in the south will ensure fast reaction time when the presence of an aircraft carrier is needed," the state-run Global Times newspaper said".

Looks like their newspaper writers and editors also don't know how naval vessels work, or understand that 2 carriers will be in port, or transiting to/from port, while one is available for operations.

An interesting development nonetheless.

Yummy! More targets.

Thresher The writer is correct in his terms.

In the Chinese language the term soldier and warrior are the same meaning one who fights. The use of Army is deliberate in China as Army equates to multiple soldiers.

The Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) is the armed forces of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and of its founding and ruling political party, the Communist Party of China (CPC). The PLA consists of five professional service branches: the Ground Force, Navy, Air Force, Rocket Force, and the Strategic Support Force.

Each Service branch is considered part of the army so the proper name of the Chines navy is the "People's Liberation Army Navy" So in Chinese terms a "sailor" an "airman" etc are both soldiers The Ground Force what the west refers to as army is titled People's Liberation Army Ground Force

So when the writer refers to soldiers he is describing the attendance of PLA officials and members,from all the forces plus officials and defence staff

Thanks for that.

Yea, I thought about the PLA thing. Gotta laugh at their PLA Army Navy term. Reminds me of American football.