China revealed that its first aircraft carrier has carried out a set of combat drills in the Yellow Sea ahead of further planned missions.

The Chinese aircraft performed air conflict maneuvers along with launch practices and recovery from the Soviet-era warship, which was bought from Ukraine in 1998 and has since been refurbishing it for service.

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The international community has closely monitored the capabilities of the Liaoning carrier group since China declared it was "ready to fight against enemies" in November.

The exercises on the Yellow Sea were announced by the Chinese Defense Ministry late on Friday.

"As a next step, the group will conduct scheduled cross-sea training tests," the ministry said.

The Liaoning carrier group's destination was not revealed by the ministry, but its "cross-sea" statement has led Chinese media to speculate that it will soon be heading into the South China Sea.

State-owned tabloid Global Times quoted a popular military analyst saying that the South China Sea would be the perfect next location because troops stationed on the reefs owned by China could be involved in the joint exercises.

Tensions in the South China Sea are high, with both China and the United States, accusing each other of engaging in dangerous military build-ups. China laid claim to nearly the entire sea and is disputing with weaker neighbors over the ownership of islands, coral reefs, and lagoons.

However, China insisted that the carrier will be used mostly for training and research. Many analysts, however, believe that the carrier is another strategic cog in China's efforts to assert its authority in the South China Sea.

Tagschina, South China Sea Dispute, South China Sea