The first Chinese aircraft carrier successfully wrapped up the second stage of its sea trials on Sunday, when it returned to the port of Dalian after a 12-day mission.

According to the Kanwa Asian Defense magazine, deck-based aircraft were not used during the trials because a special inhibitory system is yet to be installed on board the carrier.

Earlier, Russia refused to sell four such systems to China, citing strategic nature of the equipment.

The vessel is the former Soviet carrier Varyag which China bought from Ukraine in the late 1990s.