China’s first aircraft carrier, a semi-functional, refitted Soviet vessel sold by the Ukraine more than a decade ago without engine, electrics, weapons systems or fighter jet landing equipment, left the dockside in Dalian yesterday for its debut journey on the open seas.
Although this moment had been anticipated by military analysts for more than ten years, the sight of the 300m (985ft) Varyag slipping through the morning fog marked for many the start of a new era in geopolitics – the first tentative extension of a potent military reach that could eventually stretch across the globe.
But despite its heavy cargo of Chinese ambition, and beyond three celebratory blasts on its foghorn, the maiden voyage of the Varyag was a low-key affair.
The vessel, which