Key Points and Summary – China’s third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, could become operational as soon as next month, marking a major leap in its naval capabilities.
-A new state media video highlights the vessel’s imminent commissioning, framing it as a symbol of China’s rise and a direct contrast to past naval humiliations by Japan.
-The Fujian is China’s first carrier equipped with advanced electromagnetic catapults, a technology on par with the U.S. Navy’s Ford-class, allowing it to launch heavier and more diverse aircraft.
-An even more advanced nuclear-powered carrier, the Type 004, is already under development.
China’s Fujian Aircraft Carrier Could Be Operational Next Month
China’s Fujian aircraft carrier, its third and most advanced in its fleet, could enter operational service as soon as next month, according to Chinese media.
A video released on Saturday, August 23, by state broadcaster CCTV compares the upcoming commission of the Chinese supercarrier – which is comparable in size to the United States’ Kitty Hawk-class of aircraft carriers – to Japanese naval incursions almost 90 years ago.
The video was released ahead of the upcoming September 3 Victory Day parade, which will mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Asia.
The video clip broadcast on Chinese television and shared online offered a look inside China State Shipbuilding Corp’s Jiangnan shipyard located in Shanghai, where the Fujian Type 003 carrier was built. A narrator detailed some of the most notable features of the aircraft carrier, and subtly pitched it as a symbol of naval Chinese dominance.
“In August 2025, China’s first catapult-equipped aircraft carrier, designed and built entirely at home, is preparing for official commissioning,” the narrator explains. “Eight-eight years ago, the Imperial Japanese Navy’s flagship Izumo prowled in the same waters.”
The video also featured a naval historian who explained how the Izumo’s guns were “pointed directly at Shanghai’s urban districts.”
The Type 003 Fujian, once it enters operational service, will become by far the PLA Navy’s most ambitious warship to date. Displacing an estimated 80,000 tons, it is the first Chinese carrier to be equipped with electromagnetic catapults, putting it on part with the U.S. Navy’s Gerald R. Ford-class in terms of launch technology.
The vessel spans 316 meters, and its flight deck is designed to accommodate J-15B fighters, early warning aircraft, and future carrier-based stealth jets. And, unlike earlier ski-jump carriers, the Fujian’s catapult system allows for heavier take-off loads and increased sortie rates.
While the Fujian is expected to become China’s latest officially operational aircraft carrier, it is by no means the biggest one planned. The upcoming Type 004, a nuclear-powered carrier featuring yet more advanced technology.
In March, analysts told NBC News that images of the Dalian shipbuilding facility confirm that the Type 004, whenever it is officially entered into service, will allow fighter jets to be launched from four areas on its flight deck – compared to the Fujian’s three.
The vessel is expected to be substantially larger, too, accommodating roughly the same number of aircraft as the USS Gerard R. Ford – one of the United States’ largest carriers ever made.
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York who writes frequently for National Security Journal. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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