China's navy has launched its first self-propelled floating dock, giving it the ability to repair warships far from the coast, the official People's Liberation Army Daily said on Tuesday.

"The ship's launch marks a further breakthrough in shifting repairs to our military's large warships from set spots on the coast to mobility far out at sea," it added, showing a picture of a warship inside the floating dock.

The use of the dock means that ships with minor damage will not have to be taken out of service, while those with severe damage will not have to return to a shipyard, according to the paper.

The dock can handle cruisers, destroyers and submarines, but not aircraft carriers, and cope with waves up to 2 meters (6.6ft) high, it added.