China has officially commissioned the Fujian, its third and first fully home-designed aircraft carrier, marking a significant leap in the modernization of the nation’s navy.
President Xi Jinping presided over the commissioning ceremony for the Fujian at a naval port in Sanya, Hainan Province, earlier this week, as reported by Chinese state media. The Fujian becomes China’s third aircraft carrier and, crucially, the first built entirely with indigenous design and technology highlighting the country’s rapid progress toward establishing a world-class naval force.
The carrier is equipped with state-of-the-art electromagnetic catapults, making China only the second country, after the United States, to operate such advanced launch technology. This allows the Fujian to launch more sophisticated and heavily armed aircraft, including the J-35 stealth fighter and the KJ-600 early-warning plane, with greater payloads, range, and operational flexibility. These advancements provide the Chinese navy with improved power projection capabilities and are seen as a major step in narrowing the military-technology gap with the United States.
At over 80,000 tonnes and bearing the hull number 18, the conventionally powered Fujian is the largest combat ship ever constructed in China. The vessel’s commissioning is also a centerpiece of President Xi’s goal to create a “world-class” military by the middle of the century, as China expands its naval reach and military influence far beyond its own waters. The launch of the Fujian has generated widespread attention and national pride within China, as observers note the rapid tempo of naval modernization and shipbuilding under Xi’s leadership.
