China’s New Aircraft Carrier Enters Service at South China Sea Base

Sailors stand near fighter jets on the deck of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy aircraft carrier Liaoning as it participates in a naval parade to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the founding of China's PLA Navy in the sea near Qingdao, in eastern China's Shandong province on April 23, 2019. Mark Schiefelbein/AFP via Getty Images

BEIJING—China commissioned its first domestically built aircraft carrier into service on Dec. 17 at a key base on the shores of the disputed South China Sea, in another big step in the country’s ambitious military modernization.

Little is known about China’s aircraft carrier program, which is a state secret. But the government has said the new carrier’s design draws on experiences from the country’s first carrier, the Liaoning, which was bought second-hand from Ukraine in 1998 and refitted in China.