China Commissions the Fujian: Its Most Advanced Carrier Featuring EMALS, Raising Regional Tensions

China commissions the Fujian, its most advanced aircraft carrier

China has officially commissioned the Fujian, its third and most sophisticated aircraft carrier, in a ceremony attended by President Xi Jinping at a military port in Sanya on Hainan Island, state media reported.

Advanced launch system: The Fujian is fitted with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), a catapult technology that can launch fully loaded fixed‑wing aircraft from the deck and supports extended operations at sea. According to state media, Xi "personally decided" the ship would adopt EMALS as part of broader efforts to modernise the People's Liberation Army (PLA).

So far, the only other carrier to use EMALS is the US Navy's newest vessel, the USS Gerald R. Ford, which was cleared for EMALS flight‑deck operations in 2022.

Design and capability comparisons

Analysts note several design differences between the Fujian and the Ford class: the Fujian has two aircraft elevators versus three on the Ford, a smaller flight deck and three catapults compared with the Ford's four. Experts say these differences could limit sortie-generation rates compared with the US ship.

China has not published an official figure for the Fujian's air wing. Outside estimates place its capacity at roughly 40–60 aircraft, compared with about 60–70 for US supercarriers.

Propulsion and endurance: Unlike US supercarriers, which are nuclear‑powered and enjoy near‑unlimited range without refuelling, the Fujian is conventionally powered. China is reportedly researching nuclear propulsion for future carriers but has not announced a timetable for commissioning a nuclear‑powered design.

Strategic context

Beijing's naval expansion is widely viewed as an effort to project maritime power in waters contested with the United States and regional partners, particularly amid tensions over Taiwan. Chinese defence officials confirmed that the Fujian sailed through the Taiwan Strait to conduct "scientific research trials and training missions" in the South China Sea.

By numbers, China fields the world's largest navy by vessel count (about 405 military ships) while the United States lists roughly 295 vessels overall; the US, however, operates more large capital ships. State reporting also highlighted broader force metrics: the PLA now has substantially more personnel and ground equipment than the US and an air force approaching 2,000 fighter jets.

Ceremony and fleet picture

More than 2,000 personnel from the navy and carrier construction teams attended the commissioning ceremony, which Xinhua described as "grand and enthusiastic." After the ceremony, Xi toured the Fujian, inspected its combat and electromagnetic catapult systems, reviewed flight operations in the control tower and "solemnly signed the ship's logbook," according to state media.

The Fujian joins two existing carriers in Chinese service: the Liaoning (commissioned 2012) and the Shandong (commissioned 2019). Together they raise China to three carriers, ahead of countries such as India, the United Kingdom and Italy (two each), but still behind the United States, which operates 11 carriers.

Analysts caution that while the Fujian represents a significant technological step for China, the US retains advantages in carrier numbers, nuclear propulsion, and overall carrier strike-group experience.

Naval build‑up: Beijing has invested heavily in shipbuilding in recent years; roughly 40 warships were completed between 2019 and 2023, a pace that Western commentators say has rapidly expanded China's blue‑water capabilities.

The commissioning of the Fujian marks a milestone in China's naval modernisation, but observers say operational capability, carrier air‑wing size, sortie rates and integration into wider naval logistics will determine how much it shifts the balance of power at sea.