China, which has the world's largest navy—the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN)—has commissioned its third aircraft carrier, Fujian, after extensive sea trials. This is the first carrier designed and built completely by China.
With the commissioning of the aircraft carrier, China moved another step toward closing the gap with the United States Navy and its carrier fleet and network of bases that allow it to maintain a presence around the world.
Named after Fujian Province in East China, the warship features a flat flight deck with electromagnetic catapults (EMALS) for launching aircraft, allowing the fighter jets to be launched at higher speeds. Until now, only the US Navy had EMALS-equipped aircraft carriers.
ALSO READ: Continuing risk of war due to Pakistan’s compulsive acts of terrorism against India
Three different types of carrier-based aircraft of China, including the new J-35 fighter, the heavier J-15T fighter, and the KJ-600 early-warning aircraft, can operate from Fujian, which the state media has described as a "major milestone" for the PLAN. During the commissioning of the warship, J-35 and J-15T fighter jets and the KongJing-600 early warning aircraft were parked in sequence on the deck, news agency Xinhua reported.
Chinese President Xi Jinping attends commissioning of China's #Fujian aircraft carrier #AircraftCarrier
— China Military Bugle (@ChinaMilBugle) November 7, 2025
SANYA -- Chinese President Xi Jinping on November 5 attended the commissioning and flag-presenting ceremony of the Fujian (Hull 18), China's first aircraft carrier equipped… pic.twitter.com/yGsixRP1mX
According to state media, it was President Xi Jinping’s decision that the Fujian adopt the electromagnetic catapult system.
Chinese military affairs expert Zhang Junshe has been quoted by Global Times as saying that the new aircraft carrier will bring major changes and capability enhancements for the PLAN. The first is the use of EMALS, which enables the fighter jets to take off with full fuel and ammo, enhancing the combat radius and attack capabilities of these jets.
The EMALS will also improve the aircraft carrier sortie rate, the expert noted.
Fujian, along with Liaoning, and Shandong aircraft carriers, can be used in a three-carrier formation to carry out defence operations in the far seas for China. According to Zhang, it will also help in the formation of a far seas combat system which integrates both offensive and defence capabilities for the carrier group, with the addition of the KJ-600 early warning aircraft.
"The commissioning of the Fujian makes the deployment of dual carriers in the PLA South China Fleet a reality, which will undoubtedly have a strategic deterrence effect on the Taiwan independence secessionist forces and some certain countries with malicious intentions toward China," he was quoted as saying.
Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, has been quoted as saying that carriers are key to the Chinese leadership's vision of China as a great power with a blue-water navy, or one that can project power far from its coastal waters.
