BEIJING – Armament Firms forced to halt work on building first everAircraft Carrier and the Military Fighter jets.
Chinese armament firms, including those building aircraft carrier andmilitary aircraft, have halted work in order to focus on controlling therisk of rapidly spreading coronavirus that has killed 361 people in thecountry, official media here reported on Monday.
The deadly virus, which so far infected 17,341 people in China, has spreadto 25 countries, including India, the US, the UK and Russia.
“Chinese armaments companies have postponed planned work in order toconcentrate on controlling the risk of spreading the novel coronavirus,including those building the country’s new aircraft carrier and fighterjets,” state-run Global Times said in a brief report.
China launched its first aircraft carrier in 2014 which is a refittedvessel of the hull of a former Soviet ship. The country recentlyoperationalised its second aircraft carrier even as it built the third one.
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Official media reports say China plans to acquire about five to sixaircraft carriers in the coming years.
Also, China is developing a host of new fighter jets, including stealthbombers.
The suspension of the work is part of the radical measures being taken bythe ruling Communist Party of China to combat the fast spreading virus.
