China's Defense Ministry said on Wednesday that the country is refitting an imported aircraft carrier body for the purposes of scientific research and training.

"China is making use of an old aircraft carrier platform for scientific research, experiment and training," said Geng Yansheng, a ministry spokesman, at a regular press conference.

The project marks the first official confirmation that China is pursuing an aircraft carrier program of its own.

"The warship is still seaworthy, as it has been docked at sea for some time. The time for its first sea trial will depend on the refitting schedule," said Geng.

"As an important part of the research and training program, training for aircraft pilots is also in progress," he said.

The spokesman said that the pursuit of an aircraft carrier program will not change the navy's inshore defense strategy.

The vessel is an empty aircraft carrier shell bought from Ukraine. Ukraine disarmed it and removed its engines before selling it to China.

The carrier's original builder, the former Soviet Union, failed to complete the ship's construction before it collapsed in 1991.

The research and training project embodies the capability of China's defense technology and will promote the modernization of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), the spokesman said.

Geng said the necessity of acquiring an aircraft carrier for China came from the fact that the country has a very long coastline and a large amount of territorial waters.

The still-unnamed warship is scheduled to receive final adjustments at a shipyard in the port city of Dalian in northeast China's Liaoning Province before embarking on its maiden voyage.

Video footage and pictures acquired by Xinhua showed construction facilities on the carrier's deck. The ship's rusty hull has been repainted with the navy blue shade used by the PLA.

The reconstruction of the aircraft carrier is a long-term project and will have a long way to go before the warship can become operational, Geng said.

"Both overestimation and underestimation of China's future aircraft carrier have been wrong," Geng said.

(Xinhua News Agency July 27, 2011)