On November 7, 2025, Xinhua News Agency reported that the so-called Chinese Communist Party’s “Fujian Ship” was commissioned with a flag presentation ceremony in Sanya, Hainan on the 5th of November. The ceremony was attended by the CCP leader Xi Jinping, who also boarded the ship for inspection. The report mentioned the presence of high-ranking CCP officials Cai Qi and Zhang Guoqing, with Zhang Shengmin presiding over the ceremony.
This delayed report raised speculation as it was only released two days later. Prior to this, on the 6th of November, Xinhua News Agency reported that Xi Jinping received a briefing on the construction work of the Hainan Free Trade Port in Sanya. It was previously reported by the Hong Kong-based Ming Pao that Xi Jinping was expected to personally preside over the commissioning ceremony of the third aircraft carrier, the “Fujian Ship,” in Sanya and then proceed to Guangzhou to attend the National Games opening on Sunday, November 9.
Before the official announcement of the commissioning of the “Fujian Ship,” mainland Chinese social media had been hinting at the news on the 6th of November, making it difficult to distinguish between true and false information. The authorities neither confirmed the commissioning of the ship nor addressed rumors or controlled related discussions on the internet.
On November 6, the Official Weibo account of the National Defense Technology Industry Bureau @ChinaMilitaryIndustry posted: “We know you have been waiting for two days, don’t worry, take a look at this first.” Along with the post, a high-definition video of the sea trial of the “Fujian Ship” was released.
According to the Ming Pao on November 7, it was reported that when the first Chinese aircraft carrier, the Liaoning Ship, was commissioned in Dalian, Liaoning on September 25, 2012, former CCP Central Military Commission Chairman Hu Jintao attended the commissioning ceremony and inspected the ship. On December 17, 2019, when the second and first domestically produced aircraft carrier, the Shandong Ship, was delivered to the Navy at the Yulin Military Port in Sanya, the current Central Military Commission Chairman Xi Jinping attended the commissioning ceremony and inspected the ship. The news of the commissioning of the Liaoning Ship and the Shandong Ship were both reported by state media on the same day.
Hong Kong media perceives the rumors surrounding the commissioning of the “Fujian Ship” this time as being widespread with an “official cold treatment.”
Political commentator Li Lin told Dajiyuan that in the past two years, news of Xi Jinping’s domestic inspections often gets delayed for a day or two before being released, which may be related to security concerns, waiting for his departure from the scene before allowing media exposure. He is currently most afraid of leaks that could lead to an assassination attempt.
The “Fujian Ship” with the hull number 18 is touted as the first domestically developed catapult-type aircraft carrier of the CCP. Over the past year, it has undergone multiple sea trials, with the PLA Navy officially announcing the successful launch and landing training of J-15T, J-35, and KJ-600 carrier-based aircraft on the ship.
American political commentator Tang Jingyuan told Dajiyuan that the “Fujian Ship” was realized under Xi Jinping’s leadership and was named after Fujian because it is his hometown. Fujian holds a special significance for him. Additionally, the construction of the “Fujian Ship” by the CCP has political implications to prepare for potential conflicts, especially in the case of a confrontation with the US aircraft carrier group in the Taiwan Strait.
It is worth noting that the Chinese Communist Party’s military and defense system has been plagued by corruption issues in recent years.
Naval political commissar Yuan Huazhi has been ousted, the Navy commander Hu Zhongming was absent from the Fourth Plenum. Other navy generals who have been investigated include the former Navy commanders of the Southern Theater Command, Ju Xinchun, and Li Pengcheng, as well as the Chief of Navy Staff, Li Hanjun, among others.