By Mo Xiaoliang and Qian Xiaohu
BEIJING, June 20 -- The launching ceremony of China's 3rd aircraft carrier was held at the Jiangnan Shipyard of China Shipbuilding Industry Corporation on the morning of June 17. Later, Senior Captain Liu Wensheng, spokesperson for the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), released a statement regarding the carrier's naming, deployment, performance, characteristics and test arrangements.
According to Liu, basing the naming rules of the PLA Naval ships (aircraft carrier shall be named after a provincial-level administrative region), China's third aircraft carrier has been given the name of Fujian and the hull number 18 with the approval of China's Central Military Commission (CMC).
As for the new carrier's deployment in the future, the spokesperson said that, "China will select the home port for aircraft carrier Fujian based on comprehensive consideration of the needs of protecting China's sovereignty, security and development interests, as well as the demands of the carrier's operation and the support capacity of the port."
The spokesperson also introduced the basic features of aircraft carrier Fujian. "Featuring flat, straight flight deck, aircraft carrier Fujian is China's first domestically designed and manufactured carrier, which is equipped with electromagnetic catapults and arresting devices uses catapults and has a full-load displacement of more than 80,000 tonnes."
After being launched, the new carrier will conduct mooring tests and sea trials as scheduled, said the spokesperson. He also released that the commissioning of the aircraft carrier Fujian will be scheduled according to the progressing of all relevant work.