China commissions 3rd aircraft carrier
China has commissioned its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, in the southern island province of Hainan, the official Xinhua News Agency said on Friday.
President Xi Jinping attended a ceremony on Wednesday at a naval port in the city of Sanya to mark the Fujian’s entry into service. It is China’s largest aircraft carrier and the first to be equipped with an advanced electromagnetic catapult system designed to accelerate the takeoff of fighter jets.
The addition of the Fujian allows one of the three aircraft carriers to be deployed for operations at all times, while the other two undergo training or maintenance on a rotating basis.
One of three
The more than 80,000-ton vessel is believed to be part of Beijing’s ambition to build a force capable of deterring US military intervention should China attempt to seize Taiwan, the self-ruled democratic island it claims as part of its territory.
It can operate as part of a two-carrier fleet with China’s other vessels—the Liaoning or the Shandong—enhancing the navy’s offshore patrol and defense capabilities, state broadcaster China Central Television reported recently.
The third carrier, whose construction reportedly began in 2016, was launched in June 2022 and is said to be capable of carrying 60 to 70 aircraft.
After the ceremony, attended by some 2,000 navy personnel and other representatives, Xi inspected the Fujian.
Second after Ford
On its flight deck, three catapult launch positions were displayed, with carrier-based warplanes—including the J-35 stealth fighter, J-15T heavy fighter jet and KJ-600 early warning and control aircraft—parked in sequence, according to Xinhua.
The Fujian is the second aircraft carrier in the world to feature an electromagnetic catapult system, after the US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford. Xi personally decided to adopt the technology for the vessel, Xinhua said. It is named after Fujian province on China’s southeast coast, facing Taiwan.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said it believes the Fujian still needs to undergo various training and certification processes before reaching full combat capability, adding that it can effectively monitor and respond to the carrier’s activities by gathering intelligence.
In Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said Japan will “closely monitor” Chinese military activities, including those of the Fujian, near the country and “calmly and resolutely” respond to them.
Kihara said the Chinese military aims to enhance its operational capabilities in distant seas and airspace with the introduction of the new carrier.
