New aircraft carrier footage ignites curiosity in China

China's third aircraft carrier CNS Fujian has become a trending topic on the internet again with speculation that it will undergo sea trials soon, as a TV news program reported its mooring trials on Tuesday.

China Central Television broadcast the latest footage of the aircraft carrier on its news program Xinwen Lianbo, which shows the three electromagnetic catapult tracks uncovered on the ship.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy will push forward with the mooring trials of CNS Fujian, China's second domestically-made aircraft carrier, as scheduled in the new year, said Yin Hongxin, an officer aboard the vessel.

The Fujian was unveiled last year in Shanghai as it was towed out of its dry dock at the China State Shipbuilding Corp's Jiangnan Shipyard. The gigantic vessel displaced more than 80,000 metric tons of water upon completion.

According to an article published last month by huanqiu.com, with technical staff in place and mooring trials underway, the Fujian may soon conduct its sea trials.

Currently, the PLA Navy operates two carriers — the CNS Liaoning and the CNS Shandong. Both have a standard displacement of around 50,000 tons.

The Liaoning underwent 10 sea trials before going into service and the Shandong conducted nine before its commissioning.