China Carrier Permanent Base Is Qingdao

Qingdao
China's first aircraft carrier is headed for its permanent base in the northern port of Qingdao, where it will be responsible for operations in waters surrounding Japan and the Korean Peninsula, reports said Wednesday,

Speculation has swirled over where the ship, christened the Liaoning, would call home since it officially entered service on Sept. 25 amid a series of maritime disputes between China and its neighbors, particularly Japan, with which it is engaged in a tense standoff over disputed islands in the East China Sea.

Qingdao is home to China's Northern Fleet, which is responsible for operations in the Yellow Sea, the Sea of Japan, and parts of the East China Sea, as well as the Bohai Gulf, about 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Beijing.

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