With China’s commissioning of its third and most advanced aircraft carrier, Beijing has raised the costs of deterrence for Tokyo and delivered a warning to the Japan-U.S. alliance that it can now sustain long-range air operations and maintain a continuous presence in the Western Pacific.
But unlike previous vessels, the Fujian carrier’s main role is unlikely to be as a front-line strike platform, experts say, as long-range missile and unmanned systems render the massive ships more vulnerable than ever.
“The Fujian represents both a quantitative and qualitative improvement for China,” said Brian Hart, with the Center for Strategic and International Studies' China Power Project.
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