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China’s Fujian aircraft carrier set for maiden sea trials after authorities tell shipping to stay out of prohibited area
- The warship is China’s first to use an advanced electromagnetic catapult that allows fighters to be launched more frequently
- The authorities imposed a series of shipping controls near the mouth of the Yangtze days after state media said sea trials for the carrier were ‘coming soon’
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Yuanyue Dangin Beijing
China appears to be preparing for the first sea trials of its most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, after it imposed maritime traffic controls around the mouth of the Yangtze River for “military activities” starting on Wednesday.
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The announcement came days after state media reported that the carrier would be starting trials “soon”.
The Jiangnan shipyard, where the carrier was built, is located at the mouth of the Yangtze.
A notice from the Shanghai Maritime Safety Administration said “military activities” would be carried out in a designated area in the East China Sea between 7am on May 1 and 9am on May 9. “Unrelated vessels” are prohibited from entering the area during the time.
A separate notice announced traffic controls on ships exiting a deep water channel without giving a reason.
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Yue Gang, a retired People’s Liberation Army colonel, noted that the prohibited area announced by the authorities was 57km (35 miles) wide and 68km long.
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