Xi attends commissioning of first Chinese-built aircraft carrier

President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), attended the commissioning ceremony of China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, in Sanya on Tuesday afternoon.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), presents the People's Liberation Army (PLA) flag and the naming certificate to the captain and political commissar of aircraft carrier Shandong, respectively, during the commissioning ceremony of China's first domestically built aircraft carrier at a naval port in Sanya, south China's Hainan province, Dec. 17, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

The new aircraft carrier, named after Shandong province in east China, was delivered to the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy and placed in active service Tuesday at a naval port in Sanya, south China's Hainan province.

The ceremony started at around 4 p.m.

Xi presented a PLA flag and the naming certificate to the captain and political commissar of the Shandong, respectively, and posed for a group photo with them.

After the ceremony, Xi boarded the Shandong and reviewed the guards of honor. He also inspected the onboard equipment and asked about the work and life of carrier-based aircraft pilots.

On the bridge of the Shandong, Xi greeted the officers and soldiers and signed his name in the log.

Xi also met with representatives of the aircraft carrier unit and the manufacturer at the dock.

Commending China's achievements in aircraft carrier construction, Xi encouraged them to continue their efforts to make new contributions in the service of the Party and the people.

Approved by the CMC, the Shandong was given the hull number 17.