An epic military parade earlier this month showed off some of the Chinese military's new toys, unveiling heavy vehicles in maritime camouflage as the country's island-building in the South China Sea sits in US military planners' minds.
So how does China stack up to other world powers when it comes to aircraft carriers, one of the biggest factors in air and sea dominance?
Take a look at the photos and graphics below to get an idea of China's naval power:
he Liaoning docked at Dalian Port, in Dalian, Liaoning province, in 2012.
The Admiral Kuznetsov, which the Liaoning is based on, is Russia's sole aircraft carrier. The ships have the same size and speed, and they both feature the "ski jump" platform.
China's southern neighbor India operates two smaller aircraft carriers, but they are much more reliable. In 2014, the Liaoning experienced unexpected power failures while at sea.
India's Vikramaditya aircraft carrier.
The USS Abraham Lincoln, one of the US Navy's 10 Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, is larger and carries more planes, and it features catapults to launch heavier planes, thus the flat runway.
India's Vikramaditya aircraft carrier.
To put things in perspective, this graphic shows the relative sizes of aircraft carriers from around the world
Note that the USS Gerald R. Ford pictured in this graphic is slightly larger than the USS Nimitz aircraft carriers that now operate in the US Navy, but both vessels displace 102,000 tons.
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