Reference News Network, November 9 report - According to the Spanish website "El Mundo", on November 7, China added another milestone in its relentless pursuit of maritime power: its third and most advanced aircraft carrier, Fujian, was officially commissioned. This massive ship, about 320 meters long, is named after the southern Chinese province "Fujian", and some media have described it as "a giant dragon entering the sea".

The commissioning ceremony of the Fujian was held grandly this week in a military port in Sanya, Hainan. The aircraft carrier can carry about 40 fighter jets, as well as other helicopters and drones. Its most core feature is the electromagnetic catapult system that is compatible with three types of aircraft.

Currently, the United States and China are the only two countries in the world with aircraft carriers equipped with electromagnetic catapults. The Fujian is also the first aircraft carrier completely independently designed and built by China. Compared to the previous two carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong, its combat capabilities are even stronger.

Chinese official media has also revealed new combat aircraft based on the Fujian: J-15T, J-35, and KJ-600. These three models made their debut at the military parade commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japanese aggression in Beijing in September this year.

The Fujian was officially launched in mid-2022, and two years later (May 2024) began sea trials. The Chinese military stated at the commissioning ceremony that the Fujian is the largest conventional-powered aircraft carrier known in the world in terms of displacement.

China has the largest naval fleet in the world and has the capability to quickly build new ships.

The Fujian will conduct combat exercises near Sanya in the coming weeks, which is the latest manifestation of the Chinese government's efforts to promote military modernization. China aims to fully build a world-class army by the middle of this century.

Additionally, according to the UK's "The Guardian" website, on November 7, Chinese official media confirmed that the country's latest and most advanced aircraft carrier was officially commissioned this week. The Fujian is China's first aircraft carrier designed and built independently, and it is the third aircraft carrier in China's growing navy. In terms of the number of ships, the Chinese navy is already the largest in the world.

This aircraft carrier is one of the most prominent symbols of China's long-term deepening of military reforms and its realization of modernization. Currently, the Chinese aircraft carriers in service are the Liaoning and Shandong. China currently has the second-largest number of aircraft carriers in the world, surpassing the UK, India, and Italy, but still trailing behind the United States.

Gregory Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that aircraft carriers are key to China's vision of becoming a powerful blue-water navy. "In the First Island Chain, aircraft carriers do not provide real help, but they are crucial for competition in the broader Indo-Pacific region."

At a previous military parade in Beijing commemorating the 80th anniversary of the victory over Japanese aggression, China also unveiled a large number of new equipment, demonstrating that China currently has a solid and diversified nuclear strike delivery system on land, air, and sea. (Translated by Han Chao, Qiu Fang)

Original article: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7570691748150673930/

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