China’s Fourth Aircraft Carrier

China’s Fourth Aircraft Carrier Type 004 – Jiangnan Shipyard
Is this China Type 004 aircraft carrier under construction?
Is this China’s Type 004 aircraft carrier under construction at Jiangnan shipyard? Image © 2023 Maxar Technologies – Google.com

Is this China’s fourth aircraft carrier Type 004 under construction at Jiangnan Shipyard, Changxing Island, Shanghai? Well, it appears to be (see addendum). There are numerous online reports that China is planning a fourth aircraft carrier – possibly larger than the Type 003 Fujian, and with nuclear propulsion. To date, there have been no definitive reports of the Type 004 being constructed; although an Australian tabloid newspaper reported that steel plate cutting for the ship began in December 2017. I was therefore surprised to see this recent satellite image on the Google Earth website, showing the advanced construction of an aircraft carrier at Jiangnan Shipyard.
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