China has the capability of building an aircraft carrier, but it is still unknown when one will be built, Huang Qiang, the spokesman, said at the press conference.

Besides accomplishing the development of high-tech weapons and equipment, China's national defense industry will also further develop military and civilian technologies this year, which includes technologies for information security, new energies, anti-terrorism equipment and man-made satellites, according to Huang.

China's national defense sector made significant progress in technical advancements and weapon development in 2006, said Zhang Yunchuan, minister of the State Commission of Science, Technology and Industry for National Defense, at the conference.

The country plans to equip its armed forces with a batch of new advanced weapons, Zhang said.
China's national defense industry was expected to register an aggregate profit of more than 20 billion yuan (US$2.56 billion) in 2006, up by at least 50 percent from a year ago. Military industrial enterprises are all profiting, Zhang said.

China also kicked off research and development on a trunk line airplane. However, to accomplish the mission, it still needs 10 more years, Huang said.

The trunk line plane project will span two or three years during China's "five-year plan period," according to Huang.