Navy climbing to global 'front rank'

Aircraft carriers give military new capabilities to better protect China's national interests around the world

Chinese military shipbuilding technology will leap to the front rank globally in the near future, a senior ship designer said on Tuesday.

Ships, such as aircraft carriers, are "instruments of national significance", said Wu Xiaoguang, chief designer of China's first domestic aircraft carrier. The country has achieved great progress since 2012, he said.