Will China Go To War? Beijing Building Indigenous Aircraft Carrier, Likely To Be Based Near South China Sea, Reports Say

China’s first indigenous aircraft carrier would be based near the disputed South China Sea in a bid to tackle “complicated situations,” according to reports Tuesday. This would be the country’s second aircraft carrier overall, with the first being the Liaoning, which is based in the eastern port city of Qingdao.

Tuesday’s reports come at a time when China is accused of asserting power in the South China Sea region by laying claims on most of the contested waters. The country has also built artificial islands in the region, also claimed by the Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia and Brunei.

The second aircraft carrier is likely to be named the Shandong after the Chinese province in the country’s east coast, according to a post on Xiake Dao, a social media account affiliated with the overseas edition of the state-run People’s Daily. The country is yet to officially announce the name of the second carrier.

“It [the carrier] will be used to tackle the complicated situations in the South China Sea. The aircraft carrier will probably be based there,” the post reportedly said.

Also Tuesday, a television network in Shandong reported that the aircraft carrier was “taking shape” after two years and nine months of construction. However, the report did not give further details. Other reports said that the carrier is likely to be completed in the first half of 2017 and would officially join the navy in 2019.

The country’s first carrier Liaoning was commissioned by the Chinese navy in 2012. The carrier was reportedly bought as an incomplete hull from Ukraine over a decade ago.