China to build its aircraft carrier soon, says Defense Minister

October 1st, 2009 Premier: Taiwan needs strong defense against ChinaTAIPEI, Taiwan — Taiwan needs to maintain its defense against China while pursuing peaceful cross-strait relations, the island's premier said Thursday, as Beijing staged its biggest-ever military parade to celebrate the 60th anniversary of communist rule. Wu Den-yih's statement came on the same day China showed off its advanced military hardware in a parade with over 100,000 people.

September 22nd, 2009 BEIJING - Chinese Defence Minister General Liang Guanglie has said that Beijing has developed some of the world's best armaments which are at par with the westerns countries. In what is being seen as a rare disclosure, General Guanglie claimed that China now has the weaponry to match the West.

September 21st, 2009 China says military arsenal comparable with WestBEIJING — China's military now possesses most of the sophisticated weapon systems found in the arsenals of developed Western nations, the country's defense minister said in comments published Monday. Many of China's systems, including the J-10 fighter jet, latest-generation tanks, navy destroyers, and cruise and intercontinental ballistic missiles, match or are close to matching the capabilities of those in the West, Liang Guanglie said in a rare interview posted on the ministry's Web site.

August 28th, 2009 BEIJING - After a series of territorial disputes between China and US earlier this year, China has urged US to reduce, and eventually end the military surveillance, which it does by both aircraft and ships near its shores. The Chinese Ministry of National Defense made the request during a session about maritime safety involving the countries on Thursday, which came after both the countries agreed to resume military relations during the two-day Strategic and Economic Dialogue (SAED) held in Washington in July.

August 17th, 2009 BEIJING - Air China President Cai Jianjiang has said that it will begin regular scheduled flights between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan from Aug 31. Jianjiang said that Taiwan's civil aviation authority granted a business license to Air China on Aug 13, and the carrier's branch was also established in Taiwan.

July 13th, 2009 China Eastern Airlines to acquire local rivalBEIJING — China Eastern Airlines Corp., one of China's three major state-owned carriers, will acquire a local rival, the companies announced Monday, as money-losing China Eastern tries to boost its competitiveness. China Eastern, based in Shanghai, will acquire Shanghai Airlines Co.

May 20th, 2009 BEIJING - The first China-assembled Airbus A320 aircraft landed smoothly at Tianjin Binhai International Airport after four hours flight, a symbol of successful test flight. The aircraft will be delivered to Dragon Aviation Leasing in June from the Airbus Delivery Center in Tianjin and will be operated by Sichuan Airlines.

April 28th, 2009 China Southern Airlines 1Q profit down 71 percentBEIJING — China Southern Airlines Ltd., one of China's three major state-owned carriers, said Tuesday its profit fell 71 percent in the first quarter from a year earlier amid a slump in traffic. Profit for the three months ending March 31 was 222 million yuan ($32.4 million) or 0.03 yuan per share, the carrier said.

April 21st, 2009 China to build 20 hydro dams on Yangtze RiverBEIJING — China plans to build more than 20 dams along the country's longest river by 2020 as part of a plan to further develop the Yangtze River's hydropower, an official said Tuesday. The river already has the world's largest hydroelectric project, the Three Gorges Dam.

April 21st, 2009 Is long wait for Chinese aircraft carrier ending?BEIJING — China's navy has added sophisticated nuclear submarines, destroyers and missile systems, but the holy grail of surface ships — an aircraft carrier — has stayed out on the horizon. That may be about to change.

April 21st, 2009 US: Chinese aircraft carrier may worry neighborsQINGDAO, China — A future Chinese aircraft carrier may worry neighboring navies because Beijing has not specified what role the warship would play in the region, the U.S. chief of Naval Operations said.

April 21st, 2009 Top Asian News at 5:30 p.m. GMTQINGDAO, China — A future Chinese aircraft carrier may worry neighboring navies because Beijing has not specified what role the warship would play in the region, the U.S.

April 20th, 2009 China to build 5 nuclear power plants this yearBEIJING — China is planning to build five nuclear power stations this year to reduce the country's reliance on coal and oil, state media reported Monday. The plants will be built in China's eastern provinces of Zhejiang and Shandong, as well as Guangdong and Hainan in the south, the official Xinhua News Agency cited the National Energy Administration as saying.

April 15th, 2009 BEIJING - China successfully launched its second navigation satellite Wednesday. The carrier rocket, Long March 3C, blasted off from the Xichang Satellite Launch Center in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

March 27th, 2009 BEIJING - China's largest aircraft maker, Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC), has opened a defence branch in Beijing that will take over most of the military-related business of building combat aircraft, including China's own third generation fighter J-10. The defence branch will primarily develop and make training aircraft, and unmanned aerial vehicles.