China’s third aircraft carrier, Fujian, took to the seas last week for its maiden trials, a significant moment in its naval expansion to challenge the US global presence. The new aircraft carrier is named after the Fujian province and is the largest, most advanced Chinese aircraft carrier ever built. 

Fujian carrier departed from Shanghai’s Jiangnan Shipyard, and the trials will primarily test the reliability and stability of the aircraft carrier’s propulsion and electrical systems, state news agency Xinhua reported.

The trials will be conducted for almost two years before the carrier is inducted in another five years. The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) is the “largest navy” in the world, surpassing the US with over 370 battleships, the US Department of Defense said. 

‘More Heavy, More Advanced’

The Fujian carrier is expected to weigh 79,000 tons, carrying the most potent fighter jet launch system – Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS). Currently, the USS Gerald R Ford, the world’s largest aircraft carrier, uses the EMALS launch system. The other Chinese aircraft carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, use the ski-jump system.

CATOBAR and STOBAR are two types of aircraft carrier platforms. Short Take-Off Barrier-Assisted Recovery (STOBAR) comprises an elevated ski-ramp that helps a fighter jet generate lift during a take-off. The STOBAR platform limits the aircraft’s take-off weight, thus affecting the payload capacity. 

Meanwhile, the CATOBAR system uses catapults for take-off. The CATOBAR-based carriers have a steam-powered catapult system, which requires more maintenance, is heavy, and takes more space than its alternative. The EMALS catapult offers more smooth, accurate launching of an aircraft carrier, allowing heavier fighter jets to take off. 

China operates only the Chengdu J-15, the ‘Flying Shark’, fighter jets for its carrier-based operations. J-15 is a fourth-generation fighter jet, which is deployed on its STOBAR carriers. However, the US has critiqued its range/payload limitations in operations from carriers equipped with ski ramps rather than catapults. 

In 2021, China developed a catapult-based version of the fighter jet and is developing its fifth-generation fighters to match the US F-35. The US Department of Defence, in its latest report on Chinese naval modernization, said China is reportedly building a fourth aircraft carrier similar to Fujian and is expected to be nuclear-powered. The Fujian aircraft carrier will be the first conventional-energy-powered platform with the EMALS system. 

China’s Naval Expansion

Since the 1990s, China has witnessed a paradigm shift, with a focus on naval expansion rather than the PLA. The shift was driven by its economic growth through the 90s and early 2000s, which led to a rise in Chinese presence in the global economy and turned it into the manufacturing hub of the world. The PLAN slowly transitioned from a defensive-offensive arm to a force that is capable of conducting out-of-area operations and earned the tag of a Blue Water navy. 

Modernisation, which began three decades ago, focused on ship, aircraft weaponry, fighter jets, creating doctrines, training, multilateral exercises etc. The 2015 Chinese white paper of Defence called for safeguarding the Sea Links of Communication (SLOC) as part of its national interests and said the sea links are vital to China’s future. The Indian Ocean, the maritime backyard of India, is the toll-gate for global East-West trade and China is establishing maritime bases south of India to protect its Maritime Silk Road (MSR). 

The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) is home to about 2.5 billion people, with some global economies, like India, a regional power, having a dominant presence in the region. The Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandeb, Strait of Malacca and the Mozambique Channel are choke points in the region and routes vital to China’s global trade. 

“The vital feature which differentiates the Indian Ocean from the Atlantic or the Pacific is the subcontinent of India, which juts out far into the sea for a thousand miles. It is the geographical position of India that changes the character of the Indian Ocean.” KM Pannikar, a visionary Indian scholar said. The Navy, in its maritime doctrine, says that safeguarding the IOR is in India’s national interest. 

The US DoD suggests that although these carriers have value for China, its operations in Taiwan do not require such platforms since it is within the land-based reach of Chinese aircraft. These platforms assert dominance and are viewed as symbols of power. In a face-off between the US and China, the former will outperform and outmanoeuvre the PLAN with its prowess. Politically, aircraft carriers could be particularly valuable to China for projecting an image of China as a major world power.

China wants its navy to be able to deter “US intervention in a conflict in China’s near-seas region over Taiwan or some other issue, or failing that, delay the arrival or reduce the effectiveness of intervening US forces,” a Congressional Research Service report said.

India’s Third Aircraft Carrier

Former Navy chief Admiral R Hari Kumar said last year that the indigenous aircraft carrier-2 (IAC-2) would be a repeat order of INS Vikrant. “We are still working on what size IAC II should be and the capabilities that are desired. But, for now, we have put a hold on it because we have just commissioned INS Vikrant and we are quite happy with the way the ship performed in the trials.” “A lot of expertise has been gained in building IAC I. We are seriously looking at a repeat order for IAC I rather than building IAC II. This would capitalize on the expertise available in the country and we could plough back into the economy,” he added. 

INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya are built on the STOBAR platform and house the MiG-29K fighter jets. The naval version of Rafale and Tejas are expected to replace the MiGs soon.

The production of INS Vishal would begin soon, but it would still take many years for the new carrier to get commissioned. The size of the Chinese economy and its three times bigger defence budget than India’s should be considered. 

The QUAD alliance between the US, India, Australia and Japan for safeguarding the Indo-Pacific region and the Indian Navy’s regular multilateral exercises in the region ensure regional presence and dominance. 

National People’s Congress spokesperson Lou Qinjian speaks during a press conference on the eve of the National People’s Congress at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, on March 4, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

China on March 4 sought to play down increasing tensions with its Asian neighbours over the simmering South China Sea dispute and the eastern Ladakh border issue with India, saying its initiatives like BRI are gaining momentum and trade is booming with regional countries.

China has given high priority to its neighbouring countries in its overall diplomatic work, Lou Qinjian, spokesperson for China’s parliament — the National People’s Congress (NPC) — said while answering a question on China’s tensions with Asian neighbours including criticism that Beijing is turning the South China Sea dispute into “dangerous flashpoint” and the “unresolved issues” in the region.

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Mr. Lou said, “all the countries in the Indo-China peninsula, Central Asia have committed to build a community with a shared future with China”, a preferred phrase of Chinese President Xi Jinping to highlight the future of China and the rest of the world is interlinked.

“You mentioned the South China Sea. Let me stress that China will continue to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. At the same time, we will properly handle relevant issues with relevant countries through dialogue and consultation and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the South China Sea”.

China claims most of the South China Sea, while the Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims.

In recent months, tensions simmered between China and the Philippines as Manila, backed by the U.S., stepped up efforts to assert its rights over the part of the South China Sea firmly resisted by the Chinese coast guard ships.

Mr. Lou also spoke about China’s tensions with neighbouring countries without directly mentioning the eastern Ladakh border standoff with India since May 2020 which resulted in the Galwan Valley clash in June of that year.

Mr. Lou said, “China is opposed to bloc confrontation, small circles”, Beijing’s oblique references to the Quad alliance consisting of the U.S., India, Japan and Australia.

China’s cooperation with neighbouring countries is open and inclusive, not exclusive, he said.

Mr. Lou said the BRI has delivered more real benefits. Many regional countries have joined BRI and many projects have served as models and become important drivers for social and economic developments in respective countries.

The BRI is a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by President Xi when he came to power in 2013. It aims to link Southeast Asia, Central Asia, the Gulf region, Africa and Europe with a network of land and sea routes.

China, which celebrated the 10th anniversary of the BRI last year, said it had signed more than 200 BRI cooperation agreements with more than 150 countries and 30 international organisations across five continents.

Leaders in many countries faced allegations of siphoning off millions of dollars in funds allocated to especially unstainable projects leading their countries to huge debt owed to China.

China’s economic and trade cooperation with regional countries is booming, Lou said.

He also parried questions over how China views the impact on its relations with the U.S. if former American President Donald Trump gets re-elected, saying that it is an internal issue of the United States.

“No matter who becomes the President we hope the US can work in the same direction with China and work for a stable, healthy and sustainable China-U.S. relationship,” he said.

During his Presidency, Trump conducted a massive anti-China drive by launching a trade war with Beijing imposing huge tariffs on Chinese imports.

The flourishing China-U.S. ties were never the same again as his successor Joe Biden too carried out tough policy against China by imposing sanctions to restrict access to semiconductor chips which hampered Beijing’s massive drive to modernise its tech sector and firm policy to continue Washington’s ties with Taiwan which China claims as part of its mainland.

“We just hope that the U.S. will honour its commitment, build stronger and five pillars for China-U.S. relations and translate the understandings, vision agreed” by Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi during their last year’s summit in San Francisco, he said.

Mr. Lou met the media ahead of the annual session of the NPC, which is often referred to as the rubber stamp parliament for its routine approval of the ruling Communist Party of China’s legislative agenda.

Thousands of the NPC delegates and the members of the advisory body the Chinese People’s Consultative Conference (CPPCC) converged in Beijing for their weekly annual sessions to conduct legislative agenda.

The NPC will meet on Tuesday during which Premier Li Qiang will present the government’s work report as well as the budget including the defence budget for the endorsement of Parliament.

The Parliament session is taking place amid declining business sentiment in China as the government’s efforts to reverse the slowdown of the second-largest economy have not fructified.

Mr. Li was expected to announce more steps to revive the economy in his work report.

Mr. Li succeeded popular Premier Li Keqiang who died months after his retirement last year.