China officially commissioned its third and most advanced aircraft carrier, the Type 003 Fujian into the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) on 5 November 2025. The ceremony held at a naval port in Sanya, Hainan Province was attended by Chinese President Xi Jinping.
The Fujian marks a major milestone as China’s first fully domestically designed and constructed aircraft carrier, underscoring the country’s accelerating military modernisation and its ambition to build a blue-water navy capable of global operations.
Unlike China’s first two carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong which use less advanced ski-jump systems, the Fujian is equipped with a cutting-edge electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS). Similar to that used aboard the US Navy’s Gerald R. Ford-class carriers, EMALS enables the launch of heavier more capable aircraft with greater fuel and weapon payloads.
The Fujian is expected to operate an advanced air wing including the J-35 fifth-generation stealth fighter, the J-15T fighter and the KJ-600 airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft—all of which have successfully conducted flight operations from the carrier during sea trials.
Although now commissioned, defence analysts note that the Fujian will likely require at least another year to achieve full operational capability including the integration of its carrier air wing and supporting strike group.
Powered by a conventional steam turbine propulsion system, the Fujian may have limitations in range and endurance compared with the nuclear-powered carriers of the US Navy.
Measuring approximately 316 metres (1,037 ft) in length and 76 metres (249 ft) in beam, the carrier displaces between 80,000 and 85,000 tonnes at full load and is capable of reaching speeds up to 31 knots.
The Fujian was launched on 17 June 2022 and commenced extensive sea trials in May 2024 during which it successfully conducted test launches and recoveries of aircraft using its EMALS system.
