China Shows Off New Aircraft Carrier To US Defense Secretary In Rare Tour

The Chinese navy gave US Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel a tour of its new aircraft carrier on Monday in a move toward building stronger US-China ties.

Hagel praised the ship tour as a promising step forward for a fledgling US dialogue with the often secretive People's Liberation Army (PLA), but the two sides remained deeply divided on cyber-spying and regional territorial disputes, according to AFP.

"He understands how significant it was for the PLA to grant his request for a tour, and he was impressed by the professionalism of the officers and crew," Pentagon press secretary Rear Admiral John Kirby said.

Hagel's visit to the carrier is part of a off a three-day trip to China, and officials said he was the first foreigner allowed aboard the vessel by the PLA.

The carrier, the Liaoning, symbolises China's ambition to project naval power far beyond its shores and reflects a military buildup that includes spending on sophisticated anti-ship missiles and submarines.

After the ship visit, some members of Hagel's staff were invited to fly from Qingdao to Beijing on a Chinese military cargo plane, officials said.

The Liaoning carrier was a Soviet-made warship based in Ukraine that the Chinese bought and refitted, completing the work in September 2012 in a milestone for the country's expanding military.

Beijing also has started constructing the second of four planned aircraft carriers, Chinese media reported in January.