China commissions third aircraft carrier, Fujian, marking new milestone in naval power
China has officially commissioned its third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, marking a major step in the country’s military modernization drive. However, defense experts say it could take at least a year before the carrier reaches full operational capability.
President Xi Jinping attended the commissioning and flag-presenting ceremony in Hainan province on Wednesday, before touring the massive warship, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
The Fujian (Type 003) is China’s first domestically designed and built carrier, featuring a flat flight deck and electromagnetic catapult systems similar to those used by the U.S. Navy. These features allow for the launch of heavier, more advanced aircraft carrying greater weapon loads — a significant leap from China’s earlier Liaoning and Shandong carriers, which relied on ski-jump ramps.
During sea trials, the Chinese navy successfully launched:
The J-35 stealth fighter (carrier version)
The KJ-600 early warning aircraft
A variant of the J-15 fighter jet
Military analysts and regional diplomats say that while the Fujian’s commissioning is a landmark event, extensive testing remains before it becomes combat-ready.
“Despite nine sea trials this year, they are working with almost entirely new platforms,”
said Ben Lewis, founder of defense analysis platform PLATracker, predicting it will take “at least another year” for full readiness.
Footage from recent tests showed unarmed J-15 jets using the catapults, indicating early-stage training operations, according to Collin Koh, a Singapore-based defense researcher at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies.
The deployment of the KJ-600 is also seen as crucial to expanding China’s airborne command and control capabilities, allowing the navy to better coordinate operations over greater distances.
Since commissioning its first carrier, the Liaoning, in 2012, China has cautiously expanded its carrier operations. Recent missions have extended east of Japan and toward Guam, where major U.S. bases are located.
Though diesel-powered and lacking the range of U.S. nuclear carriers, the Fujian significantly enhances China’s blue-water naval ambitions. According to the Pentagon’s 2024 report on China’s military, the Fujian and future carriers will strengthen the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) with electronic warfare and anti-submarine aircraft, boosting China’s long-range strike capabilities.
“This is potentially a game changer for China, but they still need to refine how best to deploy it — particularly in a Taiwan conflict scenario,”
said Koh.
The Fujian is expected to play not only a strategic but also a symbolic role, reinforcing Beijing’s message of growing national strength and technological independence.
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