China confirms intent to build aircraft carrier

CHINA China will develop an aircraft carrier in line with its status as a major global power, state press Monday reported the nation’s defence minister as saying.

The comments by Liang Guanglie, which come shortly after a spike in tension when Chinese vessels confronted a US naval surveillance ship, are the latest high-level confirmation that Beijing is beefing up its military.

Liang told visiting Japanese Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada on Friday of China’s ambition, according to reports carried widely by the state press.

“Among the big nations, only China does not have an aircraft carrier. China cannot be without an aircraft carrier forever,” the Oriental Morning Post — citing Japanese official sources — quoted Liang as saying.

“China’s navy is currently rather weak,” he added, “we need to develop an aircraft carrier.” Senior members of the People’s Liberation Army have also called in recent months for China to acquire its first aircraft carrier, a sophisticated piece of military hardware that can be used to project power far beyond a nation’s shores.

“Building aircraft carriers is a symbol of an important nation. It is very necessary,” the China Daily paper quoted Admiral Hu Yanlin as saying earlier this month. “China has the capability to build aircraft carriers and should do so.” The defence ministry refused to immediately comment on Liang’s remarks, but in December, ministry spokesman Huang Xueping told reporters that China would “seriously” consider getting an aircraft carrier. Liang was speaking after Chinese vessels confronted — and nearly collided with — a US naval surveillance ship earlier in March in what Washington says are international waters off south China.

The confrontation was described by US intelligence director Dennis Blair as the most serious military incident involving the powers since a US spy plane collided with a Chinese fighter jet in April 2001.

China said the US naval ship Impeccable was carrying out illegal activities in its exclusive economic zone. According to generally accepted definitions, a nation’s exclusive economic zone extends 200 nautical miles (370 kilometres or 230 miles) into the ocean from its coastline. Beijing,

Monday, AFP