China's navy is growing stronger and stronger. Wednesday, it launched its first aircraft carrier that it built completely its own. China now has two aircraft carriers. The first one was built Russia and came service 2012. The new 50,000-ton carrier is the first to be developed and built China. It was launched a ceremony the shipyard the China Shipbuilding Corporation. Navy officials followed tradition and broke a bottle champagne the carrier's bow. Development the new carrier started in 2013. The shipyard started building it late 2015. The Chinese Navy will test the new carrier sea for the next three years. It will go service in 2020 after all the airplanes it needs are ready.
A spokesperson the Chinese said he was, "proud the great achievement made the country in modernizing the national defense and military". He added that the aircraft carrier would help to strengthen China's ability to protect itself. He also said China could now look its borders and protect its shipping and trade routes. A social media user Weibo (the Chinese Twitter) said the new carrier was, "a symbol China's technological power, industrial capability and overall strength". There are reports that China is planning to build least two and possibly to four more carriers. The new carriers could be as big as the biggest U.S. Navy carriers. They could weigh as much as 100,000 tons.
