China officially commissioned its most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, into the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) on November 5, 2025, at an elaborate ceremony attended by President Xi Jinping at a naval port in Hainan province. This move is widely seen as a significant step in increasing naval competition with the U.S.
The Fujian (Type 003) is China's third and most capable aircraft carrier and the first it designed and built domestically. Its main feature is the integration of an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), which allows for the launch of heavier aircraft with greater fuel and weapons loads compared to the less-advanced "ski-jump" systems of China's previous carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong. The U.S. Navy's Gerald R. Ford-class carriers are the only other ships in the world with this technology.
The carrier is conventionally powered but its advanced launch system and 80,000-plus ton displacement significantly enhance China's ability to project naval power far beyond its coastal waters, into the wider Indo-Pacific region. The ship is named after the coastal province that faces Taiwan, a detail noted by international observers.
The Fujian will operate a modern air wing, which has already been tested during sea trials, including the J-15T and new fifth-generation J-35 fighter jets, as well as the KJ-600 airborne early warning and control aircraft.
With the commissioning of the Fujian, China now has the second-largest number of aircraft carriers in the world (three), though it still lags significantly behind the U.S. Navy's fleet of 11 nuclear-powered supercarriers.
International reactions, particularly from Japan, have been wary, viewing the expansion as part of China's rapid military strengthening without full transparency.
