Introduction
The aircraft carrier Fujian, the third and most advanced unit of the Chinese Navy, may officially be commissioned as early as September, coinciding with the celebrations of the 80th anniversary of victory in the resistance war against Japan. This proposal comes from a recent video broadcast by state broadcaster CCTV, which directly links the preparation of the ship with memories of Japanese naval raids from the 1930s.
A Symbolic Message
The video begins with images of the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai, where the Fujian was built and launched, before showing the ship at sea. The narrative recalls an event from 1937, when Chinese forces inflicted serious damage to the Japanese armored cruiser Izumo, a symbol of Japanese aggression.
_”Eighty-eight years ago, the Izumo plied these waters as the flagship of the Japanese invader fleet. Today, in the same waters, the Fujian is ready for her deployment“_ is the title of the video, emphasizing a parallel between historical memory and contemporary military capabilities.
Since her launch in 2022, the Fujian has completed eight sea trial campaigns, totaling more than 117 days, more than recorded by Liaoning and Shandong, the first two Chinese aircraft carriers. Recent images show the ship in the finishing stages, with the flight deck cleared of temporary structures.
With a displacement of about 80,000 tons, the Fujian is equipped with three electromagnetic catapults, technology shared only with the US Navy, and will be able to board a “carrier strike five-piece set“: stealth fighters, multirole aircraft, AEW&C planes, electronic warfare platforms, and anti-submarine helicopters.
3 or 18 September
Speculations about the day of the service entry ceremony focus on two anniversaries: September 3, China’s victory over Japan or September 18, the anniversary of the 1931 Mukden Incident, considered the beginning of the Japanese war of aggression in East Asia.
The likely deployment of the Fujian would also coincide with the large military parade in Beijing, featuring thousands of soldiers, hundreds of land and air vehicles, and the performance of the largest military band ever deployed in China.
