source china-defense-mashup.com
2011-07-25 (China Military News from China-defense-mashup)
Some resources indicate that China will announce its Aircraft Project on the Chinese Defense Ministry's regular press conference, which to be held on July 27, the last Wednesday afternoon of this month.
The Chinese Defense Ministry held its first-ever regular press conference in Beijing in April, 2011. China wants to establish a positibe image in military's transparency.
In an exclusive interview published in June, the Hong Kong Commercial Daily quoted Chen Bingde, chief of the General Staff of the People's Liberation Army, as saying the 300 metre (990-foot) refurbished Soviet carrier "is being built, but it has not been completed".
The Hong Kong paper quoted anonymous sources as saying the carrier will be launched by the end of June at the earliest. Obviously, this headsline has been postponed.
During Mike Mullen's visit to China, Gen. Chen Bingde said: "I have nothing more to say about Chinese aircraft carriers, since prominent media outlets have already reported on them so much."
Mike Mullen said that "great symbolism" is associated with China's first aircraft carrier, "sometimes matching the actual capability versus the symbolism, there can be a gap there".
According to diplomatic and U.S. government sources, China has started construction of its first domestically made aircraft carrier. U.S. Defense Department's 2010 annual report said that China will be able to operate two or more aircraft carriers in the coming 10 years.
Some new concept technologies, such as electromagnetic catapult, will be invloved in Chinese indegious Aircraft Carrier.
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