China has launched its third aircraft carrier, the first entirely designed and built in the country, marking significant military progress for the Asian superpower.
The announcement comes after tensions between China and the United States have escalated in recent weeks over Beijing’s strikes against self-governing Taiwan, which he says is a breakaway province that must be seized by force if necessary.
Launched in a Shanghai shipyard for great fanfare, Fujian is more technically advanced than other Chinese carriers.
It is “the first catapult aircraft carrier entirely designed and built by China,” state-run CCTV said.
It will be years before Fujian reaches operational capacity, and the Ministry of Defense has not announced a date for the introduction of weapons.
“Tests for navigation and mooring will be carried out as planned after the ship is launched,” CCTV reported.
China has two more aircraft carriers in operation. Liaoning was commissioned in 2012 and Shandong was commissioned in 2019.
Unlike Fujian, they use a ski jump-style platform to launch aircraft and do not have a catapult launch system.
The United States has the most aircraft carriers in operation – 11 ships, followed by China and Britain, with two each, according to Janes Defense magazine.
Chinese warships have repeatedly sailed across the strait that separates the island from the mainland, using fighter jets to repel free navigation patrols from the United States and its allies.
Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe warned his US counterpart last week that Beijing “will not hesitate to start a war, no matter the cost” if Taiwan declares independence.
President Xi Jinping has been leading the redevelopment of the People’s Liberation Army since coming to power in 2012 and has promised to build “fully modern” forces to compete with the US military by 2027.
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The rise in China’s armed forces comes amid heightened geopolitical tensions as Washington seeks to support military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region.
Last year, the United States struck a historic deal with Britain to share nuclear submarine technology with Australia, and has since made numerous arms sales to Taiwan, sparking angry responses from Beijing.
China, meanwhile, signed an unprecedented security agreement with the Solomon Islands this year that blinded Washington and its allies, fueling fears of another Chinese military base in the Pacific.
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