(XINHUA)

China's first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, leaves its homeport of Qingdao in Shandong Province on November 26 for a training and scientific observation mission in the South China Sea.

This is the first time the carrier has conducted a cross-sea training voyage since it entered service in September 2012.

The voyage will test the carrier's equipment, according to Captain Zhang Zheng.

It was escorted by two destroyers, the Shenyang and Shijiazhuang, and two frigates, the Yantai and Weifang.

The South China Sea trial is a normal arrangement in the carrier's scheduled training, according to naval sources.

The Liaoning is China's only aircraft carrier in operation. It was refitted based on an unfinished Soviet-made carrier.