The new domestically produced aircraft carrier of the Chinese Navy, the Fujian ship, was officially put into service at a military port in Sanya, Hainan Province on the 5th. This is China's third aircraft carrier and the first non US aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults. The Fujian ship conducted multiple sea trials after being launched in Shanghai in June 2022. This aircraft carrier reflects China's strategic intention to accelerate containment of US military intervention. The Chinese Navy has maintained a dual carrier configuration of Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers. After increasing to three, through the rotation mechanism of "mission, training, and maintenance", it will be possible to maintain at least one aircraft carrier in a deployed state. Chinese military experts emphasized to official media that this will provide key support for the strategic transformation of the Chinese Navy from "near sea defense" to "far sea defense". The Fujian warship has a total length of about 320 meters and a full load displacement of over 80000 tons, making it the largest warship in the Chinese Navy. The electromagnetic catapult system equipped with it accelerates the carrier based aircraft through a linear motor to achieve takeoff. Previously, the two aircraft carriers used ski jump decks and relied solely on the carrier's own power for takeoff. Electromagnetic catapult technology was previously exclusive to US nuclear powered aircraft carriers. The electromagnetic catapult device can enable carrier based aircraft to carry more fuel and weapons for takeoff. Another feature is that it can adjust the output power to adapt to various types of aircraft such as drones for catapult takeoff. In September, the Chinese Navy released images of using electromagnetic catapults to conduct takeoff training for fighter jets and early warning aircraft. According to the Financial Times website on November 7th, China's third aircraft carrier has officially entered service, enhancing China's military power in the open sea. On the 7th, official media announced that Chinese leaders attended the flag raising ceremony for the commissioning of the Fujian warship held in Hainan on the 5th. This is China's first independently developed and built electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier. The aircraft carrier's commissioning comes at a time when the People's Liberation Army of China is rapidly catching up with the US military, which has dominated the Indo Pacific region since World War II. This new aircraft carrier is similar to the latest Gerald R. Ford class aircraft carrier in the United States, equipped with three electromagnetic catapult systems to launch fighter jets, instead of using ski jump decks to assist fighter jets in takeoff like the previous two aircraft carriers. Unlike the nuclear powered Ford class aircraft carriers, the Fujian ship uses a conventional power system, which may limit its range. China is building a top-notch military that can compete with the US military, in order to gain a dominant position in the "neighboring areas", while also projecting its power to farther places to safeguard its interests on a global scale. China has set the goal of achieving basic modernization of national defense and military by 2035, and building the People's Army into a world-class military by the middle of this century. Modern military technologies, including unmanned aerial vehicle fleets and missiles specifically designed to strike mobile ships at sea, have made aircraft carriers vulnerable to attacks, weakening their long-standing core position in the US military. But China regards aircraft carriers as an important symbol of comprehensive national strength and believes that they are crucial for containing the United States' military dominance in the Western Pacific waters and airspace. The commissioning of the Fujian warship reflects the accelerated development of Chinese warship construction and naval operations. In 1998, the People's Liberation Army of China purchased its first aircraft carrier, the Varyag, which was the predecessor of the Liaoning. This was an unfinished Soviet era ship that took over a decade to build before entering service in 2012. The second aircraft carrier, Shandong, was independently built domestically based on the design of Liaoning and entered service at the end of 2019. (New Society)