China's first carrier in service
China's first aircraft carrier has entered into service, the country's Defence Ministry said.
The 300m (990ft) Liaoning - named after the province where it was refitted - is a refurbished Soviet ship purchased from the Ukraine.
China said the vessel, which has undergone extensive sea trials, would increase its capacity to defend state interests.
For now the carrier has no operational aircraft and will be used for training.
The Liaoning was formally handed over to the navy at ceremony attended by top Chinese leaders at Dalian Port, state-run Xinhua news agency said.
The delivery of the aircraft comes at a time when Japan and other countries in the region have expressed concern at China's growing naval strength.
China and Japan are embroiled in a row over disputed islands in the East China Sea. Several South East Asian nations are also at odds with China over overlapping territorial claims in the South China Sea.
"Having the aircraft carrier enter the ranks will be of important significance in raising the overall fighting capacity of our nation's navy to a modern level," China's Defence Ministry said in a statement.
The vessel will "increase [China's] capacity to defend, develop its capacity to cooperate on the high seas in dealing with non-traditional security threats and will be effective in defending the interests of state sovereignty, security and development", it added.
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