China's Liaoning aircraft carrier leaves port for training, tests

"Liaoning", China's first aircraft carrier, on Friday left a military port in Qingdao in Shandong Province, east China, to undertake a training and testing mission.

According to a statement from the People's Liberation Army Navy, the mission would evaluate the results of tests on the vessel over the past three years.

Liaoning has completed more than 100 scientific-research tests, as well as landing and takeoff exercises by J-15 carrier-borne fighters and various types of helicopters, the statement said.

This mission is a routine arrangement in the carrier's training schedule, according to the statement.

Liaoning was refitted based on an unfinished Russian-made carrier and commissioned in September 2012.