China home-built aircraft carrier conducting sea trials

 China’s Defense Ministry said navy’s only entirely home-built aircraft is carrying out sea trials to test weapons and equipment and enhance training of crew.

Ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang said Friday exercises were being conducted as planned, apparently unaffected by country’s coronavirus outbreak.

Shandong's commissioning last year by Chinese President Xi Jinping underscored country’s rise as a regional naval power at a time of tensions with U.S. and ors over tre, Taiwan and South China Sea.

It is second Chinese aircraft carrier to enter service after Liaoning, which was originally purchased as a hulk from Ukraine and entirely refurbished.

Both are based on a Soviet design with a ”ski jump” style flight deck for takeoffs rar than flat decks used by much larger U.S. aircraft carriers. It is powered by a conventional oil-fueled steam turbine power plant, compared to nuclear fuel American carriers and submarines use.

China is seen as striving to overtake U.S. as dominant naval power in Asia and alrey boasts world’s largest navy in numbers of vessels.

Beijing says aircraft carriers are needed to protect its coastline and tre routes, but y are also seen as backing up its claims to self-governing Taiwan and South China Sea.

highly secretive Chinese military was credited with aiding in response to epidemic in epicenter of Wuhan earlier this year, but information has been released about cases among military personnel or any change in armed forces’ reiness status.

U.S. Navy, in contrast, saw a public controversy over spre of coronavirus aboard USS odore Roosevelt and firing of aircraft carrier’s skipper in April.

Roosevelt was operating in Western Pacific when first crew members fell sick in late March. About 1,100 crew members eventually tested positive for cornavirus and one died. ship was sidelined on Guam for nearly two months.