Beijing: China Tuesday rubbished media reports claiming Beijing plans to sell its first aircraft carrier ‘Liaoning’ to Pakistan, saying it follows certain principles while exporting its naval ships to other countries.
A Pakistani newspaper February 10 cited the Chinese and Russian media reports as stating that “the Chinese government has decided to sell its first and only aircraft carrier to Pakistan for a yet-undetermined price in order to upgrade the Pakistan Navy’s capabilities.”
Such a move will make the Pakistan Navy more competitive against India, which has an operational aircraft carrier, the report said, adding that ‘Liaoning’ will be resold to Pakistan after a “large-scale upgrade.”
- The Liaoning is the only Chinese aircraft carrier in active service, and the country’s first domestically developed carrier, known as the Type-001 A
- Liaoning is still undergoing sea trials
- Reports suggest that the aircraft carrier will be sold to Pakistan after a large-scale upgrade
- Such a move will make the Pakistan Navy more competitive against India, which already has an operational aircraft carrier
When asked for her comment on the report, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said, “I have not seen the report you mentioned.”
“But China has always followed principles regarding exports of its naval ships to other countries,” she said, without elaborating.
Earlier report said China, which shares close linkages with the Pakistan military, is currently building four modern naval ships for the Pakistan Navy.
Chinese military experts, however, termed the media report of the sale of the Liaoning to Pakistan as false.
The Chinese government has never disclosed any plan regarding such a deal, state-run Global Times here reported.
It also said that its reporter could not find the Chinese media report regarding the sale cited by the Pakistani newspaper.
It is a groundless allegation and complete falsehood, Song Zhongping, a Chinese military expert and commentator, told the Global Times.
As China’s first-ever aircraft carrier, the Liaoning acts as both training vessel and combat warship, that there is a zero possibility of reselling it, and China does not have spare carriers to sell to Pakistan, Song noted.