Overview
- China’s navy released a 77th‑anniversary video titled Into The Deep that showcased blue‑water operations and set off fresh talk of a nuclear‑powered fourth carrier.
- The film featured a fourth character named He Jian, which the South China Morning Post interpreted as a nod to nuclear power because He sounds like the word for nuclear in Chinese.
- Open‑source images point to a large vessel taking shape at the Dalian shipyard, and photos from February reportedly showed structures resembling reactor containment.
- Beijing has not confirmed a new carrier or its propulsion, leaving analysts to treat the video and imagery as suggestive rather than proof.
- China commissioned the conventionally powered Fujian last November with electromagnetic catapults, and it now fields the world’s largest fleet by ship count while the US keeps an edge with 11 nuclear‑powered carriers.