BEIJING – China is refurbishing its oldest aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, with new weapons systems and radar, and the vessel is expected to return to duty in 2023, according to media reports.

The former Soviet vessel, which China bought from Ukraine in 1998, is expected to rotate with China’s second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, in exercises and missions, the state-backed Global Times reported on Tuesday, citing an expert.

Other maintenance work on the Liaoning includes repainting its flight deck at a Dalian shipyard in China’s north-eastern Liaoning province, Hong Kong’s pro-Beijing newspaper Wen Wei Po reported on Tuesday.

China is boosting its military power and building a navy capable of distant operations. It is also expected to launch sea trials for its first domestically built and designed aircraft carrier, the Fujian, in 2023.

The Liaoning had in 2023 carried out air defence and anti-submarine training in the western Pacific Ocean, the Chinese state media reported in April.

It was also sighted in January by Japan during training, which caused Tokyo to scramble fighter jets and dispatch warships. REUTERS