China Hints at Nuclear-Powered Fourth Aircraft Carrier in Promotional Video

China has hinted at its fourth aircraft carrier being nuclear-powered through the promotional film 'Into The Deep', released on the eve of the 77th anniversary of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy. The video showcases the navy's transition from coastal defense to a blue-water navy, featuring drills in the western Pacific with advanced equipment.

A key element is fictional naval officers named after existing carriers: Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian. A fourth character, 19-year-old 'He Jian', draws attention as 'He' sounds like 'nuclear' and 'Jian' means 'ship' in Chinese, aligning with sequential pennant numbers 16, 17, 18, and now 19.

China has not confirmed Type 004 construction officially, but satellite images show a large vessel under build at Dalian shipyard, comparable to the US Gerald R. Ford-class. Recent photos reveal structures resembling nuclear reactor containment. Expected specs include 110,000–120,000 tonnes displacement, over 100 aircraft capacity, and electromagnetic catapults for J-35 and KJ-600.

China's three current carriers are conventional: Liaoning (refitted Soviet vessel, 2012), Shandong (indigenous, 2019), and Fujian (80,000 tonnes with EMALS, commissioned last November).

This reflects ambitions to secure sea lanes and project power globally. US assessments predict up to nine Chinese carriers by 2035, the largest Indo-Pacific expansion since World War II. China has 234 warships vs. US 219, but trails in nuclear carriers (US has 11).

Strategic interests include protecting over 11,000 claimed islands in East and South China Seas via reclamation and bases in Djibouti, Gwadar, and Hambantota.

India operates two carriers (INS Vikrant, Vikramaditya) and plans more to counter in the Indian Ocean. The video offers insight into China's naval direction.