China's first aircraft carrier is now ready for combat, state media said Tuesday, a key breakthrough as the Asian giant seeks to flex its naval muscle in waters far beyond its shores.
The Liaoning carrier, which had previously been portrayed in Chinese media as a surface platform for tests and training, has now "formally been described as having a real combat capacity," the state-run Global Times said.
The report cited the the Liaoning's political commissar, Li Dongyou, as saying that the carrier is "constantly prepared for war."