China teases new aircraft carrier, vows to build up islands

China on Wednesday teased in a video an aircraft carrier that could be its fourth, and the first using nuclear power, while making an allusion to Taiwan and vowing to further build up its islands, as it looks to boost maritime power, secure resources and bolster territorial claims.

The video, issued on the eve of the 77th founding anniversary of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy, featured fictional officers with names that are homophones of three commissioned aircraft carriers, the Liaoning, Shandong and Fujian.

Titled Into the Deep, it showed a 19-year-old named “Hejian” (何劍) joining the group, sparking public speculation that it was referring to a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, as the navy recruit’s name is a homophone of “nuclear vessel” (hejian), in Mandarin.

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