The first Chinese-made aircraft carrier went into active service today, at the Sanya Naval Base on Hainan Island, at a launch ceremony attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Li Gui, a Beijing-based marine expert, told the South China Morning Post that the Shandong aircraft carrier has been attached to the PLA Navy and that it can carry up to 40 aircraft, including Z-9 helicopters and KJ600 early warning aircraft. .
"Beijing chose Sanya as the launch port because the military leadership wanted to highlight the geostrategic importance of the second aircraft carrier base in China," Li Gui added.
The Shandong ship was built by the Dalian Shipbuilding Company in Liaoning Province, where construction began in November 2013 and the main beam for the structure was laid in a dry dock in March 2015.
Shandong was originally supposed to enter service in April 2019 but was postponed for technical reasons.
Shandong is the second aircraft carrier in China after Liaoning, a former Soviet aircraft carrier that has been upgraded with its purchase from Ukraine in 2012.