China’s Newest Aircraft Carrier Enters Service as Japan Watches Warily

Latest Developments

Third Carrier in Service: China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, officially entered service after a commissioning ceremony earlier this week attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping. The Fujian marks the third carrier to be added to the Chinese fleet, with Beijing currently building a fourth. The Fujian is also reportedly the most technologically advanced, equipped with electromagnetic catapults. Chinese state media previously published a video that appears to show aircraft being launched from the ship.
Fujian Carries Advanced Features: China’s first and second aircraft carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong, feature ski jumps to assist in launching aircraft. The Fujian skipped steam catapult technology and instead uses an electromagnetic launch system. The only other aircraft carrier in the world that utilizes an electromagnetic launch system is the U.S. Navy’s USS Gerald R. Ford. Electromagnetic launch technology gives China the capability to launch a broader range of aircraft than ski jumps, like Beijing’s KJ-600 early warning and control plane, which is heavily based on the U.S. military’s Northrop Grumman E-2 Hawkeye.
Japan Watching Warily: Japan’s former minister of defense, who now serves as Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s chief cabinet secretary, stated that the launch of the Fujian demonstrated that China is “extensively and rapidly strengthening its military power without transparency.” Minoru Kihara warned that “China’s military intends to advance its operational capability at distant sea and air by strengthening sea power.” He added that Japan was monitoring China’s military activity and would “calmly but decisively respond” if necessary.

FDD Expert Response

“This is another significant development in China’s efforts to build a blue water Navy. These carriers will be an important part of China’s ability to project power overseas or possibly to impose its will on Taiwan if the United States abandons it. However, in a conflict with the United States or Japan, these Chinese carriers will be sitting ducks for U.S. submarines.” — RADM (Ret.) Mark Montgomery, Senior Fellow and Senior Director of FDD’s Center on Cyber and Technology

“The commissioning of the Fujian should serve as yet another wakeup call for Washington — but not a cause for hyperventilation. Beijing is implementing a massive and methodical military modernization and expansion campaign that seeks to combine dominant capacity with growing capability, demonstrating both Beijing’s regional and global ambitions. It will take years before China can match the carrier capacity and capability of the United States, but Beijing is determined to try to close the gap, and the biggest dangers in Washington are overconfidence and an insufficient sense of urgency.” — Bradley Bowman, Senior Director of FDD’s Center of Military and Political Power

“China’s latest aircraft carrier is a reminder of the People’s Liberation Army’s continuous efforts to expand and modernize its capacity to project power — Beijing no doubt recalls the deterrent presence of two U.S. aircraft carriers off Taiwan during the Third Taiwan Strait crisis in 1996. Despite its improvements, however, the PLA must still resolve the significant operational challenges that come with such a rapid build-up.” — Jack Burnham, Research Analyst, FDD’s China Program