China is building its second aircraft carrier amid maritime tensions

China Defense Ministry announced that its building a second aircraft carrier to expand its military power. The announcement comes amid maritime tensions on China's periphery, as Beijing's neighbors worry about the country's moves to assert control over disputed South China Sea.

China already has one second-hand aircraft carrier called the Liaoning. Beijing bought the aircraft carrier from Ukraine in 1998. The aircraft carrier was put into service in 2012 after years of refurbishment.

According to Reuters, China Defense Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said that the new aircraft carrier had been entirely designed in China and  was being constructed in the northeastern port of Dalian. Yang said that the new carrier's design and construction is based on research and experimentation on the Liaoning with improvements in many aspects.

Military analysts and Chinese media have published satellite images, photographs and new stories about the second aircraft carrier for months. According to The Wall Street Journals, analysts said that the new aircraft carrier would provide only a modest boost to China's rudimentary carrier force. Analysts believe that the warship is the first step of China's long-march on challenging the U.S. military as the dominant naval power in the Asia Pasific.

A Chinese naval expert said that the new aircraft carrier is needed to furthering Chinese interests in the South China Sea. The expert said that having a second aircraft carrier will reduce the pressure as many U.S.  aircraft carriers travel all over the place in the South China Sea.

According to CNN, the U.S. military and independent analysts have long believed that China has been working on the second aircraft carrier project while using the Liaoning for training purposes. Earlier this year, Pentagon said in its annual assessment of the Chinese military that China continues to pursue an indigenous aircraft carrier program and could build multiple aircraft carriers over the next 15 years.

China Defense Ministry said the 50,000 ton aircraft carrier will be conventionally powered. It will not be nuclear-powered like the U.S. carriers. The warship will carry Chinese-built J-15 jet fighters and other aircrafts. The carrier would be roughly the same size as the Liaoning but far smaller than the U.S. carriers.

The new carrier will rely on the conventional propulsion, which means it will have a shorter range. It will use ski-jump ramp that would limit the weapons payloads that its aircraft can carry.

China Defense Ministry has not yet confirmed when the second aircraft carrier would enter service.