China's most advanced aircraft carrier appears to be nearing completion, with experts suggesting the vessel could soon be launched
A launch date has not been announced but state-run newspaper Global Times said this week that it"could be launched soon", adding the Chinese navy had recently released a promotional video.
The new carrier class is fitted with a catapult launch system that will"enable it to support additional fighter aircraft, fixed-wing early-warning aircraft, and more rapid flight operations and thus extend the reach and effectiveness of its carrier-based strike aircraft," the US Defence Department said in its annual report to Congress on China's military in November.
The development is part of the broader modernisation of China's military capabilities, as it seeks to extend its influence in the region.
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