China has officially launched its most advanced aircraft carrier to date, the Fujian, intensifying its maritime rivalry with the United States and signaling Beijing’s growing ambition to project military power far beyond its regional waters.

The Fujian - China’s first domestically designed supercarrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults - was commissioned into the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) during a ceremony at the Shanghai Jiangnan Shipyard on Friday.

The ship’s introduction places China alongside the U.S. and France as the only nations currently operating carriers with EMALS (Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch Systems), technology that enables faster, heavier aircraft launches and longer strike ranges.

“This is a generational leap for the Chinese navy,” said Collin Koh, senior fellow at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies in Singapore. “The Fujian is not just a ship - it’s a symbol of strategic parity.”

A New Chapter in China’s Naval Modernization

At 80,000 tons, the Fujian dwarfs China’s first two carriers — the Liaoning (a refitted Soviet vessel) and the Shandong (China’s first indigenous carrier). Its advanced launch systems and expanded flight deck allow it to deploy a broader array of aircraft, including the J-35 stealth fighter and KJ-600 airborne early warning planes, which rival U.S. Navy assets in capability.

The carrier is expected to enter full operational service by late 2026 following extensive sea trials and combat readiness testing.

Chinese state media hailed the launch as proof that China has achieved “a world-class navy capable of blue-water operations.”

The Fujian’s design and technology indicate Beijing’s ambition to sustain carrier strike operations in the Western Pacific, far from the Chinese mainland — a capability long dominated by the U.S. Navy.

Strategic Context: A Tightening Pacific Chessboard

The carrier’s debut comes at a time of heightened military tension across the South China Sea and Taiwan Strait, where U.S. and Chinese naval forces frequently shadow one another.

For Washington, the launch underscores a strategic reality: China’s navy, already the world’s largest by vessel count, is rapidly closing the qualitative gap. The Fujian is expected to form the nucleus of China’s first full carrier strike group, capable of independent operations across the Indo-Pacific.

“Each Chinese carrier brings Beijing closer to power projection on a global scale,” said Adm. John Aquilino, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, in recent remarks. “The Fujian marks the beginning of a new era in naval competition.”

Beyond Symbolism

For Beijing, the Fujian serves both military and political objectives. Domestically, it reinforces President Xi Jinping’s narrative of national rejuvenation through technological achievement. Internationally, it signals that China intends to operate on equal footing with the U.S. — especially in the Indo-Pacific’s contested maritime corridors.

“This is power projection with purpose,” said Bonnie Glaser, managing director of the Indo-Pacific Program at the German Marshall Fund. “The message is clear: China will no longer be contained to its coastal waters.”

The move also pressures regional neighbors like Japan, South Korea, and Australia — all of which are expanding their naval budgets in response.

The Takeaway

The Fujian’s launch confirms what defense planners have warned for years: the global balance of maritime power is shifting. While China remains years away from matching America’s carrier strike readiness, its rapid progress is rewriting the map of military influence in the Pacific.

For now, the Fujian stands as both a technological milestone and a strategic declaration — that the next great naval race has already begun.