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By Vittorio Hernandez
Beijing, China
Just weeks after China confirmed that it was secretly building its first-ever aircraft carrier, the Defense Ministry on Wednesday announced that its carrier is ready to start its inaugural sea trial.
Beijing is transforming an old Soviet ship into its first carrier - a move, which could spark concerns among neighbors and the U.S. over its rapidly growing military might.
"According to trial plans, the first sea trial will not take long," the ministry said in a statement. "After returning to the shipyard (in the port city of Dalian), the carrier will continue its refit and test work," it added. The statement further said that the vessel would be used for "training and research".
Andrei Chang, head of the Kanwa Information Center, said that the trial is expected to last about an hour.
"The first sea trial is just for testing different items, like whether the engines work or not," he said, adding that from Soviet and French aircraft carrier experience, on-off sea trials would continue for up to two years.
In June, top Chinese military official, Chen Bingde, acknowledged of the carrier in an interview to a Hong Kong newspaper. The ship called Varyag was actually constructed for the Soviet navy. However, due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, its construction was interrupted in 1991.
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World - China Announces Sea Trial Of Its First Aircraft Carrier | Global Viewpoint