After the first trial of China’s first aircraft carrier, the U.S. has demanded information about the project. “We would welcome any kind of explanation,” said a spokeswoman for the U.S. State Department in Washington on Wednesday.
General concern prevails that China is not as transparent as other states in military issues. Thus China would not make information about the military budget and military projects open. “We would like an open, transparent relationship in military affairs,” said the spokeswoman.
China’s first aircraft carrier had set out on Wednesday from a shipyard in northeast China’s Dalian for the first test trail. A month ago, Beijing had declared that the 300-meter long ship was to be used for “scientific research, experimentation and training.” The aircraft carrier was originally built for the Soviet Navy, the works on “Varyag” were stopped after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
China bought the ship’s hull in 1998 from Ukraine – with no engine and electrical equipment. So far, Beijing has made little information on the ship.