China is working on third aircraft carrier, Xinhua reports

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China has launched work on building its third aircraft carrier, Xinhua News Agency reported on Sunday.

In an article published on its WeChat account, Xinhua said that as the nation's second domestically designed carrier has undergone sea trials, a "new-generation carrier" is being constructed at the shipyard as per schedule.

The article, which was intended to mark the sixth anniversary of the first takeoff and landing by a Chinese fighter on the country's first carrier CNS Liaoning, does not elaborate on the program of the "new-generation carrier," which is believed to be the country's third carrier. But the article comes as the first official confirmation.

Chinese aircraft carrier at the South China Sea. /VCG Photo

Weaponry experts and foreign observers have long asserted that China has begun to build its third carrier at China State Shipbuilding Corp's Jiangnan Shipyard Group in Shanghai, speculating that it will be bigger and mightier than the Liaoning and the second carrier, which is yet to be named.

A publicity officer at China State Shipbuilding Corp's headquarters in Beijing refused to comment on the matter.

China launched its first domestically constructed aircraft carrier, the Type 001A, in April 2017, at the Dalian shipyard in northeast China's Liaoning Province.

The Type 001A, coming after the Liaoning, is a refitted Soviet Union-made carrier, which was put into commission in the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy in 2012.

Its performance is still expected to lag behind U.S.-built, nuclear-powered competitors like the USS Carl Vinson, in terms of tonnage and aircraft-carrying capacity.

But it shows China's ability to build its own carriers. And with new core technology, the country will be able to further improve it and build more capable and innovative aircraft carriers.

The last decade has seen a major shift for China's navy, from coastal defense to taking on greater responsibilities in the deep sea.

In 2015, Beijing released a naval advancement strategy to become a maritime power. The newly launched carrier reveals the big strides in China's military transformation, but it will still take time to form real capability.‍

(With inputs from China Daily)