When Chinese naval commander Admiral Liu Huaqing discussed the need for aircraft carriers in 1986, he argued that Beijing should acquire them for “safeguarding the country’s maritime interests, including the recovery of the Nansha [Spratly Islands] and the reunification of Taiwan”.
Thirty-five years later, the People’s Liberation Army Navy seems on a fast track to make Liu’s dream come true. China has two aircraft carriers in operation, and as satellite images show, a third is nearing completion in a Shanghai shipyard.
The newest carrier, which could be in the water as early as this year, is the first that China has designed and built on its own. It will also be the first such ship that comes close to matching the US’s supercarriers: At 318m length, it is only 14 metres shorter than the US’s most advanced Ford class carrier. Like the Ford class, it is expected to feature electromagnetically powered catapults for launching fighters.