简体中文
A fleet of Chinese warships led by China's first aircraft carrier Liaoning will head to Hong Kong to join the celebrations marking the 20th anniversary of the region’s return to the motherland, spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense Wu Qian has announced.
The year 2017 marks two decades after the return of Hong Kong to China and also 20 years since the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) started carrying out duties in the region, Wu said in a press conference on Thursday, noting that it is an eventful moment to celebrate.
the scene of aircraft carrier Liaoning training
The fleet is now on a routine training mission, having set out from the eastern Chinese port city of Qingdao on Sunday, and will soon join the celebratory activities in Hong Kong.
The detailed schedule of the fleet has not been publicized.
The Liaoning is a refurbished aircraft carrier built from the hull of a Soviet Union ship bought from Ukraine.
As the first aircraft carrier commissioned into the People's Liberation Army Navy Surface Force, the Liaoning is being used by the Navy as a training ship to practice with carrier usage. Last December, it was deployed for the first time in distant sea waters for exercises and completed a passage through the Taiwan Strait in January.
