HONG KONG: After Fujian was commissioned on November 5, China now operates a fleet of three aircraft carriers. This makes the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) the world’s second-largest operator of carriers.

Nonetheless, this figure still falls someway behind the eleven carriers operated by the USA. The US Navy (USN) has dominated the Western Pacific since the end of World War II, but China’s growing naval power has blunted that ascendancy. China once lagged badly in aircraft carrier technology, too, but that situation is changing.

In fact, the arrival of Fujian constitutes a step change in capability for the PLAN. What is also remarkable is the rapid speed of China’s technological advancements. Additionally, the PLAN operates a fleet of large flattops from which helicopters can take

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