China’s new aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has entered service after several sea trials, with analysts saying the ship could help Beijing expand its influence beyond its waters.

Fujian is China’s third aircraft carrier but the first to be designed and built in the country.

The 80,000-ton aircraft carrier is named after the province which faces Taiwan and has many systems which the other two Russian-designed carriers lack.

The Liaoning and Shandong are also smaller and are dependent on ramps to launch aircraft.

President Xi Jinping boarded the carrier for inspection in the city of Sanya in southern Hainan province on Wednesday, per state news agency Xinhua.

The commissioning event was attended by over 2000 representatives from China’s naval forces and aircraft carrier construction teams.

The Chinese leader had previously stated his aim to have a modern military force by 2035 and a world-class force to rival the United States by 2050. As Fujian hits the waters, many say that China has taken another major step forward in that direction.

Fujian has a flat flight deck and electromagnetic catapults for take-offs, only found elsewhere on the U.S Navy Ford-class carriers. This would enable Fujian to carry more and heavier jet fighters.

While Fujian would allow China’s navy to function more actively in the Pacific, a recent report claimed that the carrier might not be that effective compared to its American Nimitz and Ford-class counterparts, as its flattop’s layout of catapults and elevators could hamper flight operations.

While the ship was undergoing trials, the navy also launched its new carrier version of the J-35 stealth fighter and an early-warning aircraft, the KJ-600, and also a variant of its J-15 fighter jet.

Only time will tell how quickly the ship becomes combat-ready, but it’s the most visible sign of President Xi’s overhaul and expansion of China’s navy.

Greg Poling, director of the Asia Maritime Transparency Initiative at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said that China aims to project its power in the South China Sea, East China Sea and Yellow Sea, but it also wants to challenge the U.S dominance deeper into the Pacific.

Not only China, but other countries have also pushed towards improving their naval aviation capacities across the Indo-Pacific.

India commissioned the INS Vikrant and used it to project its power amidst tensions with Pakistan. The country’s PM Narendra Modi highlighted the carrier’s deterrent effect during India’s operation against Pakistan in Operation Sindoor.

Indonesia is also exploring plans to acquire the retired Italian Navy’s Giuseppe Garibaldi for converting it into a drone mothership.

Japan is also working on a full-deck conversion of Izumo-class aviation destroyers, JS Kaga and JS Izumo.

The regional tensions amidst increasing naval and military power come amidst the U.S and China’s tussle over the latter’s ambitions related to Taiwan.

U.S Navy aircraft carriers have been deployed to support American allies in numerous exercises and maritime patrol exercises in the South China Sea.

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