| Purchasing seems to be the only way for poor nations to develop aircraft carriers. |
| Capt. Zhang Zhaozhong, Chinese navy's top aircraft carrier expert |
|
| I don't think that size of the vessel is the main reason why the Turkish authorities are not allowing to pass. I don't know what the actual reason is. |
| Oleh Firsov, Varyag's chief engineer at Ukraine's Nikolayev shipyard |
|
| You know, we don't call it the Varyag any more. We've got a new name. We call it the Alcatraz. |
| Ray Aba Gatnam, Filipino master of the Sandy Cape |
|
| Since the straits are not going to get bigger this platform should get smaller. |
| Ramazan Mirzaoglu, Turkish Maritime Affairs Minister |
|
| We are a small party caught in between two bigger parties - China and Turkey. |
| Joop Timmermans, the head of ITC |
|
| Strictly speaking, anything can be moved anywhere. |
| Andreas Tsavliris, the head of Tsavliris |
|
| We believe the main purpose for China buying the carrier is not to use it against Taiwan. But the possibility of other uses is still there. |
| Li Chieh, Navy commander-in-chief |
|
| America and Turkey were worried and tried to block the purchase because I was once a military man, but a person can't always choose his identity and background. |
| Xu Zengping, one of Chinluck's directors |
|
| The boldest gamblers might bet on the future of the Varyag. |
| Gambling Magazine |
|
| For God's sake, never gamble heavily and if you can avoid it, dont ever gamble. |
| Stanley Ho, Macau casino king |
|
| The cost of converting the Varyag is enormous. China's carrier capability is some years away. |
| Commodore Stephen Saunders, Jane's Fighting Ships |
