China confirmed on Thursday that it is currently building its second aircraft carrier, despite being in the middle of maritime disputes regarding the South China Sea.

Defence Ministry spokesman Yang Yujun said the new marine vessel will complement the Liaoning, a carrier that China acquired from Ukraine in 1998.

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Yang said that the new carrier draws its design from the Liaoning, and is being built in the port of Dalian. It will be conventionally powered and will have a displacement of 50,000 tonnes.

Despite being smaller than the the 60,000-tonne Liaoning, the new carrier will be able to carry Shenyang J-15 fighters and will have a ski-jump take-off.

Work on the new aircraft carrier has reportedly been commissioned. Defence spokesman Yang, however, did not say when the second carrier will be ready for service as its launch is dependent on the design progress.

A naval expert who declined to be named said that the second carrier is essential for furthering China's maritime interests. He said that China already had problems caused by U.S. aircraft carriers cruising through waters in the South China Sea.

"Having a second aircraft carrier reduces the pressure on us,” he explained. “It will keep us from being bullied."

Earlier, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said that China is building two aircraft carriers, and it is believed that both will be the same size as the Liaoning. Some military experts and state media believe that domestically-built carriers will be in service by 2020.

Beijing is taking an increasingly assertive stance in the contested South China Sea. China is claiming sovereignty over almost 90 percent of the waters, and this has caused tensions with other nations who have competing claims.

Other countries that have claims in the South China Sea include Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan and the Philippines. China is also in a dispute with Japan over territories in the East China Sea.

China reportedly seeks to manage the dispute through talks, and has said that it has no hostile intentions against other claimants.

TagsLiaoning, Aircraft carrier