China Flexes Its Muscles

Fengyuan Zhang

On the twentieth-sixth of April, 2017, 001A aircraft carrier was launched at Dalian shipyard. It was China’s second aircraft carrier and was independently manufactured by China. The designation of 001A aircraft carrier is based on the research on Type 1143.5 Aircraft Carrier and Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning. It is reported by the Russian military industrial website that China started constructing the aircraft carrier in 2013. It is estimated that the tonnage of the aircraft carrier is about sixty thousand tons. The newly-built aircraft carrier, which could cost three billion dollars, is conventional powered. It is designed to contain forty to forty-five carrier-based aircrafts which are newly-constructed and fully-armed as well. It is said that aircraft carrier, a large navy ship, is at the first place of all kinds of navy ships in the respects of tonnage, volume and fighting capability. The design and construction of aircraft carriers is a very complex project which involves shipping, aviation, aerospace, electronics, electric power, chemical material, weapons and hundreds of other advanced technology. In other words, the construction of aircraft carrier is the reflection of a country’s comprehensive national strength. 001A aircraft carrier plays a significant part of maintaining the stability and unity of our country. It is high-profile and on behalf of the ambition of all Chinese people: promoting the unification of China and revitalize our nation. To sum up, as the first one researched and developed by China, 001A aircraft carrier is a marvelous Chinese product. It will be a milestone in the history of the development of Chinese navy and lay a solid foundation for constructing larger and more advanced aircraft carrier in future.