China’s Defense Ministry on Tuesday offered the latest hint that its third and largest aircraft carrier could soon enter service, after it undergoes further testing and training in the disputed South China Sea.
The carrier, with a displacement of more than 80,000 metric tons, was spotted last Thursday in the East China Sea for the first time by Japan, and later made its inaugural sail through the Taiwan Strait. It was believed to currently be in the South China Sea.
Asked whether the moves indicated that the Fujian’s commissioning is imminent, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Jiang Bin on Tuesday called the moves “a normal arrangement during the construction of the aircraft carrier,” adding that the sailing “aligns with relevant international law and international practices and is not targeted at any specific country or objective.”
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