How China’s new aircraft carrier can help get Beijing’s political messages across
Michal Thim
/ Ed. 14. 5. 2017
Michal Thim says the Type 001A aircraft carrier will not be a game changer for the PLA Navy in military terms, but could excel in the role of carrying Beijing’s foreign policy
When China in 2012 put into service its refurbished Soviet-era aircraft carrier the Liaoning, it was apparent that if the People’s Liberation Army was serious about aircraft carrier capability, more vessels would follow. The launch of its first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, is a step in that direction.