China Commissions Fujian, Its First Fully Domestic Carrier, to Project Naval Power Far Beyond Its Shores

China commissions Fujian, a domestically designed carrier to extend its reach

China formally commissioned the aircraft carrier Fujian on Hainan Island after extensive sea trials, state media reported. The ceremony was attended by top leader Xi Jinping, and the ship is the first carrier China both designed and built domestically. Analysts say the Fujian represents a meaningful technical and operational advance that helps Beijing push its navy farther from home.

The Fujian is China’s third carrier and the most advanced so far. Unlike the Liaoning (a refurbished Soviet hull) and the Shandong (a domestic carrier based on an earlier Soviet-style design), the Fujian employs an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) similar to those on the U.S. Navy’s newest Ford-class carriers. That technology reduces stress on airframes, provides finer launch control and permits launching heavier, fully fueled aircraft such as the KJ-600 early-warning plane.

Operational implications: With onboard early-warning aircraft and improved launch capability, the Fujian can sustain more advanced air operations at greater distances from China’s shores. Analysts say this improves Beijing’s ability to operate beyond the First Island Chain and to contest areas of the broader Indo-Pacific, including approaches toward the Second Island Chain and regions near Guam.

“Carriers are key to Chinese leadership’s vision of China as a great power with a blue-water navy,” said Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at CSIS.

U.S. and allied officials caution that the carrier strengthens China’s capacity to project power, which could complicate crisis scenarios such as a confrontation over Taiwan by extending China’s domain awareness and operational perimeter. Japanese officials responded warily, saying the move underscores Beijing’s rapid military buildup without full transparency.

Where gaps remain: Despite improvements, China still trails the United States in several critical ways. The PLA Navy operates three carriers compared with 11 in the U.S. fleet; China’s carriers are conventionally powered while U.S. carriers are nuclear-powered, giving the latter much longer endurance and operational range. The U.S. Ford-class also offers larger air wings and design features that speed aircraft handling and sortie generation.

China also lags in numbers of guided-missile cruisers and destroyers, nuclear-powered attack and ballistic-missile submarines, and in the global network of overseas bases that support long-range naval operations. Beijing is rapidly expanding shipbuilding and missile capacity, and analysts note satellite imagery and construction trends that suggest China is already building additional carriers.

Technology vs. readiness: The Chinese government has publicized successful tests of the Fujian launching a KJ-600 early-warning aircraft along with J-35 and J-15T fighters, and state media highlighted the carrier during recent military parades. Still, some analysts warn that sophisticated hardware does not automatically equal operational readiness. China has not fought a major war since 1979, and exercises, logistics, command-and-control, and real-world integration often lag behind showcased technologies.

Singapore-based analyst Tang Meng Kit said the modernization program should be seen as part of a broader strategic effort to deter major powers, pressure regional actors, expand global influence and bolster domestic legitimacy — not solely as preparation for a Taiwan operation.

Albee Zhang in Washington and Mari Yamaguchi in Tokyo contributed to reporting on this development.