BEIJING, China: China's third aircraft carrier set sail this week, adding significant strength to its naval forces.
The new carrier, the Fujian, is named after the province facing self-ruled Taiwan, delivering a not too subtle message to the west.
Celebrations, which included champagne, colorful ribbons, water cannons and multi-colored smoke, were on display to mark the naming and send-off of the ship at a ceremony at the Jiangnan shipyard in Shanghai.
State media reports that the new carrier includes a full-length flight deck equipped with a catapult launch system.
The Fujian joins the Shandong aircraft carrier, commissioned in late 2019, and the Liaoning, which China bought from Ukraine in 1998.
The United States, with 11 aircraft carriers, has the world's largest carrier fleet.
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