BEIJING – Chinese fighter pilots have carried out night landings on thecountry’s first aircraft carrier, the official China Daily reported onSaturday, the latest demonstration of military muscle as Beijing’s pushesto modernise its armed forces.

Pilots flying J-15 jets landed at night on the Liaoning, the official papersaid, citing a video posted by China’s navy. It said this was a complexmanoeuvre that marked a “huge leap towards gaining full combat capability”.

China has ambitious plans to overhaul its armed forces as it ramps up itspresence in the disputed South China Sea and around self-ruled Taiwan, anisland China considers its own.

The official newspaper of the People’s Liberation army also said onSaturday that Chinese fighter jets had recently carried out live-firedrills in the South China Sea.

China has been ramping up naval military exercises amid growing tensionswith Taiwan. Last month, President Xi Jinping presided over the navy’slargest-ever military display, with 76 fighter jets and a flotilla of 48warships and submarines.

China’s first domestically developed aircraft carrier set off on sea trialsearlier this month. The older Liaoning, which is expected to serve more asa training vessel, was bought second-hand from Ukraine in 1998.

Its navy has also been taking an increasingly prominent role in recentmonths, with the Liaoning sailing around Taiwan and new Chinese warshipspopping up in far-flung places.

State media has quoted experts as saying China needs at least six carriers.The United States operates 10 and plans to build two more.

Many experts agree that developing such a force would be a decades-longendeavour but that the drive to bolster its forces at sea will be crucialin the longer term as China looks to erode US military prominence in theregion.