China's first aircraft carrier will be named "Liaoning" after the northeast province where it was refitted, an expert and military insider said Monday.

And the carrier's hull number, "16," has been painted on the bow, suggesting it would soon be put into service, Li Jie, a researcher with the China Navy Military Academy added.
The carrier, formerly the Ukrainian vessel Varyag, is expected to be commissioned by the end of the year as all the necessary facilities have been installed and the carrier has passed all its 10 sea trials since last August, Li said.

Zheng Ming, a former department director in the Chinese navy, said: "I once suggested the ship be named after China's Yellow Sea, but was told the authority has decided to name it after a province."

Previously, there was speculation the carrier might be named after Mao Zedong, founder of the New China, or after the capital Beijing. Li said that was unlikely.

It was also suggested the carrier might be named after Shi Lang, a Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) admiral who led a fleet to Taiwan Island in 1681.

Under Chinese navy regulations, large ships are usually given provincial-level names, while destroyers and frigates must be named after large or medium-sized cities. Smaller vessels can be named after mountains or famous people.

The name will be officially announced on the first day of its commissioning, the navy authority has said.

Meanwhile, the hull number "16" that has just been painted on the carrier led to speculation that it was to commemorate Liu Huaqing, the country's former Naval Commander Admiral, because his home province of Hubei is China's 16th province in terms of its geological position.

Liu, who died last year, was known as the "Father of China's Aircraft Carrier" because of his support for the program.

The carrier left the port of Dalian on August 10 last year for its first sea trial and has been regularly tested in both the Yellow and Bohai seas since then.

Though capable of launching attacks on missiles, aircraft and approaching vessels, the defense ministry says the carrier will mainly be used for research, experiments and training.