Beijing: The first 'Made in China' aircraft carrier was launched in Dalian, China's major northern port closest to North Korea on Wednesday, as the more powerful USS Carl Vinson strike group headed towards Korean waters.
The naval showcase came as tensions over North Korea remained high, and Chinese media expressed concern that Russia was exploiting a rift between Beijing and Pyongyang to "fill the gap" in trade as China tightened sanctions on Kim Jong-un's regime.
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China unveils first aircraft carrier
China launches its first domestically built aircraft carrier, which will join an existing one bought second-hand, boosting it military presence.
Chinese state television showed the unnamed aircraft carrier, which is "conventionally powered", festooned in red ribbons and pushed by tug boats. It is only the second aircraft carrier in China's naval fleet.
The United States has 10 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, and Chinese naval analysts pointed out the technology gap between China and the US would widen when the newest, the USS Gerald Ford, comes into use this year.
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"There still is a big gap in the Chinese Navy's capability, so it needs sturdy hard work, step by step," said Song Xiaojun, former editor of Naval and Ship Merchant magazine. "This aircraft carrier is not high-tech stuff."
China's Liaoning aircraft carrier, deployed in 2012, was purchased second-hand from Ukraine. Construction on the Chinese-made aircraft carrier, which will carry around 32 J-15 fighter jets, began in 2013. It needs to undergo equipment debugging and mooring trials before becoming operational, Xinhua reported.
North Korea's Rodong Sinmun newspaper, meanwhile, reported the Russian embassy in Pyongyang hosted a banquet to celebrate the 85th anniversary of the North Korean army, with Russian foreign ministry representatives and Russian MPs in attendance.
Separately, the front page of the regime's newspaper complained about the "unprecedented harsh sanctions and pressure" imposed by the "American imperialists". It displayed Kim Jong-un watching the "largest ever" live fire drill held on the coast at Wonsan on Tuesday, involving long-range artillery, submarines firing torpedoes and jets dropping bombs.
As the United States and China worked together to strengthen sanctions, North Korea was seeking to retaliate by getting closer to Russia, Chinese state media has complained.
In an editorial, the Global Times pointed to a large North Korean tourist boat carrying government delegates due to arrive in Vladivostok, Russia, to take part in World War II commemorations, and Russian Duma members speaking in support of North Korea.
The editorial said that Russia, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council, "will not possibly violate UN Security Council resolutions in public and fill the gap for North Korea, which is the key trade China has stopped".
China has stopped buying coal from North Korea, and is expected to agree to cut its crude oil supply to the regime.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will meet Russian President Vladimir Putin on Thursday and ask him to play a "constructive role" on the North Korean issue in the UN Security Council, the Japanese government said.
A special ministerial meeting of the Security Council focused on North Korea will be held on Friday, where harsher sanctions are expected to be discussed.
The South Korean, US, Japanese and Chinese nuclear envoys have met in Tokyo ahead of the UN meeting.
The US continued to deploy its controversial THAAD anti-missile radar in South Korea on Wednesday, ahead of the South Korean election on May 9. The main opposition party has said it would reconsider THAAD if elected.
with Sanghee Liu