The Jiangnan shipyard showing carrier 003 under assembly. Weibo
Rick Joe, The Diplomat: 003 and More: An Update on China’s Aircraft Carriers
Over the past year, disparate elements of the Chinese Navy’s carrier development program have continued to progress and come together.
As another year passes, additional developments in the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) carrier program continue to be sighted and confirmed, in spite of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Meanwhile, geopolitical tensions between the United States and China show no sign of easing. Media interest in Chinese military and naval developments shows no sign of easing either, particularly with regard to speculation about the future path of Chinese carrier development.
This article will review some of the developments and rumors in the Chinese carrier sphere that have occurred since The Diplomat published a similar piece in mid-2019, as well as further clarifying some continuing confusions over the designations of PLAN carriers.
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WNU Editor: A good analysis. I also agree with the author's assessment that the Chinese Navy is looking at having a total fleet of 10 aircraft carriers in the future.
