China launches third, most advanced aircraft carrier named 'Fujian'
China on Friday (June 17, 2022) launched its third and most advanced aircraft carrier from Shanghai's Jiangnan Shipyard, with a new launch system that experts say is fast catching up with the United States.
Named "Fujian," the ship is China's first domestically designed and built catapult aircraft carrier, state-run news agency Xinhua reported.
Its catapult-assisted launch system major upgrade from the less advanced ski jump-style system used on the Liaoning and the Shandong, its two predecessors, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), a Washington-based think tank.
The new system, similar to the ones used by US aircraft carriers, will allow China to launch a wider variety of aircraft from the Fujian faster and with more ammunition.
In addition to the launch system, the Fujian is equipped with blocking devices, and a full-load displacement of more than 80,000 tons, Xinhua reported, adding that the ship will carry out mooring tests and navigation tests after the launch.
Matthew Funaiole, senior fellow at the CSIS's China Project, told CNN previously that the new ship would be the Chinese military's "first foray into a modern aircraft carrier." "This is a pretty significant step forward," he said. "They've really committed to building out a carrier program, and they continue to push the boundaries of what they're able to do."
China names its aircraft carriers after its coastal provinces, with Liaoning in the northeast and Shandong in the east. Fujian, in the southeast, is the closest province to Taiwan, separated by a strait that is fewer than 80 miles (128 kilometers) wide at its narrowest point. And is the home of the Eastern Theater Command of the People's Liberation Army.
China's ruling Communist Party claims sovereignty over the self-ruling democracy of Taiwan, despite having never governed it. Chinese leader Xi Jinping has repeatedly said that "reunification" between China and Taiwan is inevitable and refused to rule out the use of force.
China now wields the largest naval force in the world, and aircraft carriers are the core vessels of any major power's fleet. The massive ships are essentially a mobile airbase, allowing for the rapid, long-term deployment of aircraft and weaponry to a combat theater.
China's naval buildup comes amid growing geopolitical tensions with the US, which under President Joe Biden is seeking to strengthen ties with allies and partners in the Asia-Pacific region to counter Beijing's growing economic influence and military might.
Aircraft launched by catapults can get airborne quicker and with greater quantities of fuel and ammunition, giving them an advantage over planes launched by ski jump, which rely on their own power when lifting off.
Following its launch, the Fujian will need to be tested and fully outfitted before it is fit to be commissioned and officially enter service.
The Fujian's launch demonstrates the Chinese military's increasing capability at a time of rising tension with the United States over Taiwan and Beijing's claims to the South China Sea.
Taiwan is a self-ruled thriving democracy. But China considers Taiwan its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under Beijing's control.
