Work starts on five more in 2001 -- including a submarine and the country's first aircraft carrier.

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Washington (CNN) -- The USS Enterprise is the nation's oldest active duty warship, the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier and a history-making symbol of America's naval might for half a century.

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Beijing is in the middle of a programme to improve its navy, launching its first aircraft carrier, Liaoning, two years ago, the BBC's Michael Bristow reports.

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The aircraft carrier is the first of two 65, 000-tonne ships under construction in Scotland, with work on her sister ship, HMS Prince of Wales, also under way at Govan in Glasgow.

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It was one of the first ships to be converted to an aircraft carrier during World War I.

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Aircraft carrier HMS Queen Elizabeth is the first of two 65, 000-tonne ships under construction in Scotland.

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Last month a Chinese spokesman said the country was seriously considering whether to build its first aircraft-carrier.

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Its building of a first aircraft carrier was part of that and would have a profound effect on the balance of forces in the region, he said.

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