China’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, was formally delivered to the Chinese navy on Sept. 25, which is just an important and normal move in the development course of the Chinese navy. However, certain foreign media outlets deliberately misinterpreted it as a reflection of China’s maritime expansionism, saying the carrier would pose a threat to China’s neighboring countries and upset the geo-strategic balance in the Asia-Pacific region.

In recent years, even the slightest move by the Chinese armed forces would attract the attention of many foreign media outlets, not to mention the construction of the strategically important aircraft carrier. Certain countries have made a lot of wild and completely unfounded speculation about the aircraft carrier in order to play up China’s military threat.

As the most advanced maritime operational platform of human civilization so far, aircraft carrier is considered the symbol of a country’s comprehensive national strength and naval strength, and is crucial to protecting a country’s maritime rights and interests.

China has a long coastline of more than 18,000 kilometers and a vast maritime territory of more than 3 million square kilometers. It is only natural for China, a big maritime nation, to commission the aircraft carrier in order to safeguard its territorial sovereignty as well as promote peace and development.

At a time when the security of maritime transportation of China and other countries is threatened by international terrorism, the commissioning of the aircraft carrier will enhance the Chinese navy’s ability to safeguard national sovereignty, security, and interests, and greatly promote world peace and common development.

China is not flexing its muscles by commissioning the aircraft carrier. Everyone knows that China was the only one of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council and of BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) that did not own an aircraft carrier.

After entering service, the Liaoning will continue to be used for related scientific experiments and military training. China will not and cannot use this aircraft carrier to launch a war against neighboring countries.

China has no intention to get involved in strategic collision with any other country in the world, and will adhere to its defensive national defense policy despite the addition of new weapons.

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