New weapon in the Pacific China puts aircraft carrier "Fujian" into service - with a lot of pathos
The "Fujian" is China's third aircraft carrier to enter service. The People's Republic developed the ship entirely by itself. What it can do and why it should compete with the USA.
07.11.2025, 11:45
07.11.2025, 11:46
dpa
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- China has commissioned its third aircraft carrier, the "Fujian".
- The carrier was developed entirely domestically.
- The "Fujian" displaces an estimated 80,000 tons and has a magentically operated catapult.
China has officially commissioned its new aircraft carrier "Fujian", which was developed entirely in-house for the first time. State and party leader Xi Jinping symbolically accepted a flag at the ceremony on Hainan Island on November 5 in front of more than 2,000 navy sailors, as state television reported today.
Xi, who also heads the Central Military Commission, which commands the People's Liberation Army, then inspected the aircraft carrier. The "Fujian", which was developed in China and named after the south-eastern Chinese province, is the third aircraft carrier of the People's Liberation Army after the "Shandong" and the "Liaoning".
Although China built the "Shandong" itself, it based it on a Soviet class of ship. The "Liaoning" was the first of the three warships China bought from Ukraine in 1998.
This is the significance of the "Fujian" for Beijing
Pictures of the "Fujian" first appeared in 2022. A few weeks ago, the warship, which is more than 300 meters long and, according to estimates, weighs around 80,000 tons, set sail for a final test in the South China Sea, where it is now anchored in Sanya on Hainan.
On its way there, the colossus had passed through the Taiwan Strait - the strait between China and the island republic of Taiwan, which Beijing wants to annex.
With the "Fujian", China wants to show off the modernization of its military and navy - one of the largest in the world - ordered by President Xi Jinping. The new aircraft carrier also serves as a symbol of power in the Western Pacific, where the USA has military bases.
What makes the "Fujian" dangerous
With the "Fujian", Beijing is catching up with the USA in terms of technology, as the aircraft carrier is equipped with a new electromagnetic catapult. Until now, the USS Gerald R. Ford was the only country to have an aircraft carrier with this technology in service.
According to experts, the catapult enables faster aircraft take-offs and can be fine-tuned for different types of aircraft. This also means that various fighter planes and drones could take off from there.
Experts in Taiwan suspect that China's aircraft carriers could set up a blockade in the event of military action against the island.
