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China launches third aircraft carrier in major military milestone

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Vivian Lin, with Laurie Chen in Beijing, Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="TYPE 003 Aircraft Carrier Jiangnan Shipyard, China - May 31, 2022. Photo by CSIS/High Resolution/Maxar 2022. Image from the Center for Strategic and International Studies website. Used with permission" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/06/17/20220617-csis-high-resolution-maxar-2022.jpg"/><figcaption>TYPE 003 Aircraft Carrier Jiangnan Shipyard, China - May 31, 2022. <em>Photo by CSIS/High Resolution/Maxar 2022. Image from the Center for Strategic and International Studies website. Used with permission</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>SHANGHAI - China on Friday launched its biggest and most modern aircraft carrier, marking a major military advance for the Asian superpower.</p><p>The announcement comes at a time of heightened tensions between China and the United States over Beijing&#x27;s saber-rattling towards Taiwan, which it views as a breakaway province to be seized by force if necessary.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/spotlight/06/17/22/chinese-invasion-of-taiwan-too-costly-to-countenance">Chinese invasion of Taiwan: Too costly to countenance?</a></li></ul><p>China&#x27;s carrier development program is part of a massive overhaul of the People&#x27;s Liberation Army under President Xi Jinping, who has vowed to build a &quot;fully modern&quot; force to rival the US military by 2027.</p><p>The new carrier, named Fujian, is the &quot;first catapult aircraft carrier wholly designed and built by China&quot;, said state broadcaster CCTV.</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="This screen grab made from video released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV shows the launch ceremony of the Fujian, a People" s="" Liberation="" Army="" aircraft="" at="" a="" shipyard="" in="" Shanghai="" on="" June="" China="" launched="" its="" third="" the="" first="" designed="" and="" built="" entirely="" marking="" major="" military="" advance="" for="" Asian="" superpower.="" CCTV="" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2022/life/06/17/20220617-fujian-afp.jpg"/><figcaption>This screen grab made from video released by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV shows the launch ceremony of the Fujian, a People&#x27;s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft carrier, at a shipyard in Shanghai on June 17, 2022. China on June 17 launched its third aircraft carrier, the first designed and built entirely in the country, marking a major military advance for the Asian superpower. <em>CCTV / AFP</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Columns of sailors in white uniforms applauded under colorful clouds of smoke as jets of water arced over the gigantic vessel to mark its launch.</p><p>Colorful streamers hung from its flight deck, on which large banners read: &quot;Strive for the comprehensive construction of a... first-class navy.&quot;</p><p>The launch of the carrier marks a major milestone for the Chinese military.</p><p>It has significantly more advanced technology than China&#x27;s two other carriers, including electromagnetic catapults to launch aircraft off its deck, the official <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/china-gears-launch-its-third-aircraft-carrier">Xinhua news agency reported</a>.</p><p>The other carriers -- the Liaoning and the Shandong -- use a ski-jump-style ramp for takeoffs.</p><p>And with a displacement of more than 80,000 tons, according to Xinhua, it is comparable in size to the supercarriers of the United States Navy, analysts said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/05/18/22/china-aircraft-carrier-conducts-drills-in-philippine-sea">China aircraft carrier conducts drills in Philippine Sea</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/05/25/22/chinese-navy-ends-drills-under-japan-us-close-watch">China’s carrier group ends navy drills ‘aimed at Taiwan independence forces’</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/overseas/05/27/22/china-urges-japan-to-stop-monitoring-of-navy-drills">China urges Japan to stop ‘dangerous’ close monitoring of navy drills</a></li></ul><div><strong>GAME CHANGER</strong></div><p>Collin Koh, a research fellow at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, said it could be a &quot;game changer&quot; for the Chinese navy.</p><p>&quot;The conventional flight deck with (electromagnetic catapults) will at least in theory allow the carrier to launch aircraft faster and with heavier payloads -- which constitute key deciding factors during battle,&quot; he told AFP.</p><p>&quot;At a strategic level, the new carrier heralds the coming of age of a blue-water PLA Navy.&quot;</p><p>Blue-water navies are able to operate around the world at vast ranges.</p><p>It will take years before the Fujian becomes operational, however. Authorities have not said when it will enter service.</p><p>The Liaoning was commissioned in 2012, and the Shandong entered service in 2019.</p><p>The Shandong was the first aircraft carrier entirely built by China.</p><p>The United States has by far the most aircraft carriers in service at 11 ships, followed by China and Britain at two each, according to defense magazine Janes.</p><p>Unlike the US Navy&#x27;s nuclear-powered supercarriers, the Fujian uses conventional propulsion. Nuclear vessels have significant advantages over conventional ships as they can operate for long periods without the need to dock and refuel.</p><div><strong>TAIWAN TENSIONS</strong></div><p>The launch of the carrier comes at a time of ramped-up geopolitical tensions as Washington looks to shore up military alliances in the Asia-Pacific region.</p><p>Last year, the United States secured a historic deal with Britain to share nuclear submarine technology with Australia and has since made multiple arms sales to self-ruled Taiwan, provoking angry responses from Beijing.</p><p>Meanwhile, China brokered an unprecedented security agreement with the Solomon Islands earlier this year which blindsided Washington and its allies, stoking fears of a Chinese military base in the Pacific.</p><p>In recent years, Beijing has deployed naval assets as a show of power in the strait that separates Taiwan from the Chinese mainland. </p><p>It has also used fighter jets to repel freedom of navigation patrols by the United States and its allies.</p><p>Chinese defense minister Wei Fenghe last week warned his US counterpart that Beijing would &quot;not hesitate to start a war, no matter the cost&quot; if Taiwan declared independence.</p><p>State media reported that the PLA&#x27;s newest aircraft carrier is named after China&#x27;s Fujian province -- which lies across from Taiwan.</p><p>bur-rox/</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=1946046" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

China on Friday launched its biggest and most modern aircraft carrier, marking a major military advance for the Asian superpower.

China launches third aircraft carrier in major military milestone

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China launches third aircraft carrier in major military milestone

Vivian Lin,

with Laurie Chen in Beijing,

Agence France-Presse

Published Jun 17, 2022 11:16 PM PHT

Read More:

china

beijing

Fujian

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