China has begun construction of its fourth aircraft carrier at the Jiangnan Shipyard near Shanghai, with satellite imagery indicating a vessel approaching US Nimitz-class dimensions—a development that fundamentally alters the naval balance in the Indo-Pacific.
The carrier, designated Type 004 by Western defense analysts, measures approximately 320 meters in length based on satellite imagery analyzed by the Center for Strategic and International Studies. That places it firmly in the supercarrier category, comparable to America's largest warships and far exceeding China's existing carriers.
"This is not incremental improvement," said Matthew Funaiole, senior fellow at CSIS's China Power Project. "This is China building a carrier that can operate at the same scale and reach as US supercarriers. It changes what they can do and where they can do it."
To understand today's headlines, we must look at yesterday's decisions. China's first carrier, the Liaoning, was a refurbished Soviet hull commissioned in 2012. The second and third carriers represented incremental improvements in indigenous design and capability. The Type 004 represents a quantum leap—from regional power projection to potential global reach.
The vessel appears to incorporate electromagnetic aircraft launch systems (EMALS), the same technology used on America's newest Ford-class carriers. EMALS allows more frequent aircraft launches with less mechanical stress, significantly increasing sortie rates. Previous Chinese carriers used ski-jump launches, which limit aircraft payloads and operational flexibility.
Satellite imagery suggests the Type 004 will displace approximately 100,000 tons when complete, putting it at near-parity with US supercarriers. More importantly, the shipyard infrastructure indicates China is preparing to build multiple carriers of this class simultaneously—a construction tempo that challenges American naval supremacy.
