China's first aircraft carrier was formally commissioned Sept. 25, nearly 15 years after a Hong Kong-based travel agency purchased the unfinished Soviet-era Varyag at a Ukrainian auction. China sees the introduction of the carrier as the culmination of a long struggle to gain global respect and establish a firm standing among the major global powers, not just as a manufacturing center, but as an equal on all terms — economic, political and military. The recently re-christened Liaoning, which completed its tenth and final sea trial a month ago, enters service at a time of intense focus on Chinese naval capabilities. Beijing and Tokyo continue to square off over control of the disputed Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, and China has spent the last several years acting in a more assertive manner in the South China Sea, confronting conflicting claims with the Philippines and Vietnam, and challenging U.S. Navy action in the area.