China has put its first aircraft carrier into service, becoming the first country in Northeast Asia to do so.

Chinese President Hu Jintao and Premier Wen Jiabao were among senior officials that attended a ceremony in Dalian port Tuesday marking the official commissioning of the Liaoning.

Liaoning’s deck is 302 meters long and 72 meters wide, and it has a displacement of 67-thousand-500 tons with a maximum speed of 53 kilometers per hour. It's known to be capable of carrying some 50 J-15 fighter jets developed by China.

With Liaoning entering into service, an armament race among Asia Pacific countries is also expected to heat up.

Japan, the Philippines and Vietnam, which are all mired in territorial disputes with China, are keeping a close eye on whether the Liaoning will appear in waters near contested territories as they work to strengthen military ties with the U.S.