BEIJING: Amid reports that China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier will be unveiled soon, state media on Monday took a dig at India, saying its first home-built carrier is not even operational.

HT FILEChina had no aircraft carrier till 2012, while India’s first was purchased in the late 1950s from the United Kingdom.

The Chinese media advised New Delhi to keep its military ambitions in check and instead, strengthen its economy first.

Reports in Chinese media said the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy was making “final preparations” to launch its first domestically built aircraft carrier soon to mark the 68th anniversary of founding of its navy, which fell on Sunday.

State media took the opportunity to make a few points.

“Aircraft carriers are seen as symbols of a nation’s military might, but the construction of them consumes huge amounts of resources, thus requiring developing countries to learn how to keep their military ambitions in check,” China’s nationalistic tabloid Global Times wrote on Monday.

China had no aircraft carrier till 2012, while India’s first was purchased in the late 1950s from the United Kingdom; China’s pursuit of military development has then been in “sync” with its over economic development.

It said China’s first priority was developing its economy and then building “resource consuming” aircraft carriers.

“As the world’s second-largest economy, China is now capable of building a strong navy to safeguard the security of strategic maritime channels. China’s construction of its first aircraft carrier is a result of economic development,” the newspaper wrote.

“The country would have finished work on it several years ago if Beijing had simply wanted to engage in an arms race to have more influence in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean regions,” it said.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kongbased South China Morning Post (SCMP) said the new aircraft carrier has a displacement of 70,000 tonnes, is 315 metres long, 75 metres wide and has a cruising speed of 31 knots.

STATE-OF-THE-ART

The new carrier features the latest equipment, including a bigger hangar to carry more J-15 fighters and more space on deck for helicopters and other aircraft,” it said.

State media reported earlier that China will eventually have six aircraft carriers; the second one to be built domestically, 002, is coming up in Shanghai.