China, which is sending warships to Somali waters to fend off pirates, says it is now considering building an aircraft carrier to protect its interests, a development likely to worry its neighbours. China's rising military spending has prompted concern in the United States and elsewhere, especially in Japan and self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its own and has vowed to bring under mainland rule, by force if necessary.
"Aircraft carriers are a symbol of a country's overall national strength as well as the competitiveness of the country's naval force," Chinese Ministry of National Defence spokesman Senior Colonel Huang Xueping told reporters.
"China has a large sea territory. It is the sacred responsibility of our armed forces to protect our sea territory and to maintain our maritime sovereignty and rights and interests. China, taking into account all relevant factors, will earnestly research and consider (building aircraft carriers)." Taiwan was cautious in its reaction.
"We need to do some research before we can judge whether (the carrier) is directed at Taiwan," said Ministry of National Defence spokeswoman Chih Yu-lan. Chinese military officials have been lobbying the central government for years to build an aircraft carrier, which would allow naval forces to project air power offshore, but rarely make public statements about their intentions.
Hong Kong media have said China could build its first carrier by 2010. The comments come amid strained military ties between Washington and Beijing, and as China prepares to send two navy destroyers and a supply ship on Friday to the Gulf of Aden, to join international efforts to fight rampant piracy off the Somalian coast.
US defence officials last week welcomed China's Somalia mission and said they hoped it would act as a "springboard" for resuming contacts with Beijing, which China suspended in October in protest over a $6.5 billion US arms sale to Taiwan.
Huang, however, said the US military had more work to do to improve ties. "At present the military relationship between China and the United States has some difficulties, but the responsibility is not with the Chinese side," he said. "We hope the US side will take seriously the major concerns and interests of the Chinese side ... and take concrete actions to create conditions for military relations to recover."
The United States switched diplomatic recognition from Taiwan to China in 1979, recognising "one China", but remains the island's biggest ally and arms supplier and is obliged by the Taiwan Relations Act to help the it defend itself.