China has launched its third aircraft carrier, manufactured by the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) shipyard in Shanghai, and named it Fujian which is named after a province located directly facing the island of Taiwan in an apparent statement to the island.
The Type-003 aircraft carrier is the largest aircraft carrier of any country in the world except for the United States. It has a full-length flight deck and a catapult launch system, according to Chinese state media.
The Fujian is the most advanced carrier that the Chinese Navy has and is equipped with the latest weaponry, having capabilities far better than even British, Indian or French aircraft carriers.
Satellite images taken of the new Chinese aircraft carrier show that it has similarities to the capabilities of the Ford-class carriers operated by the United States. However, unlike the Ford-class carrier, it is not nuclear-powered, though some analysts believe that China will be putting out a nuclear-powered carrier next.
A senior Taiwan official spoke to Reuters and said that the new carrier is sending a message about China's intentions about projecting power in the Pacific.
"In the future, they want to directly penetrate to the east of the first island chain, which includes Japan's Ryukyu Islands and the Pacific waters off Taiwan's east" the official reportedly stated.
"Any regional cooperation is seen by Beijing as an intervention in the Taiwan issue or a challenge to China. The launch of the new carrier is a defiant statement".
The Type-003 aircraft carrier is the largest aircraft carrier of any country in the world except for the United States. It has a full-length flight deck and a catapult launch system, according to Chinese state media.
The Fujian is the most advanced carrier that the Chinese Navy has and is equipped with the latest weaponry, having capabilities far better than even British, Indian or French aircraft carriers.
Satellite images taken of the new Chinese aircraft carrier show that it has similarities to the capabilities of the Ford-class carriers operated by the United States. However, unlike the Ford-class carrier, it is not nuclear-powered, though some analysts believe that China will be putting out a nuclear-powered carrier next.
A senior Taiwan official spoke to Reuters and said that the new carrier is sending a message about China's intentions about projecting power in the Pacific.
"In the future, they want to directly penetrate to the east of the first island chain, which includes Japan's Ryukyu Islands and the Pacific waters off Taiwan's east" the official reportedly stated.
"Any regional cooperation is seen by Beijing as an intervention in the Taiwan issue or a challenge to China. The launch of the new carrier is a defiant statement".