China begins Type 004 carrier construction

China’s fourth aircraft carrier is now visibly under construction at Dalian Shipyard, according to new analysis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies, which published a public tracker on May 21 based on commercial satellite imagery. (features.csis.org) Outside analysts widely refer to the ship as the Type 004, but CSIS said key details — especially propulsion, final size and air wing capacity — remain unconfirmed. The most solid fact in the public record is that a large carrier hull is taking shape in the same Dalian graving dock previously used to refit Liaoning and assemble Shandong. CSIS said the vessel measured roughly 286 meters from unfinished bow to stern and about 46 meters in beam as of May 2026, making it larger than any other class of surface combatant in China’s navy. (features.csis.org) ### So what is actually confirmed, and what is still guesswork? CSIS said it assesses with “near certainty” that the vessel under construction is an aircraft carrier. That judgment rests on the hull’s size, configuration and build location, all of which match earlier Chinese carrier programs rather than civilian commercial ships. (features.csis.org) Propulsion is where the public evidence gets thinner. CSIS said a nuclear-powered design is “likely,” not confirmed, and SkyFi said imagery used in a February 25 Newsweek report showed internal features that analysts said were consistent with reactor compartments and multiple engine rooms. (features.csis.org) Chinese officials have not publicly confirmed that assessment. ### Why are analysts focused so heavily on propulsion? Nuclear propulsion matters because it would give the carrier longer endurance and sustained speed than conventionally powered predecessors, according to analysts cited by SkyFi and Newsweek. CSIS also described propulsion as the most closely watched technical question surrounding the ship because it would mark a major step beyond China’s earlier carriers. (features.csis.org) Tom Shugart, a former U.S. Navy submariner and adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, said imagery reviewed for the February report showed parallels with early construction of U.S. (features.csis.org) Ford-class carriers. Frederik Van Lokeren, a former Belgian naval officer and independent analyst, reached a similar conclusion after reviewing the same imagery, according to SkyFi. ### Why does Dalian matter here? Dalian Shipyard matters because it is not a new site for China’s carrier program. CSIS said the same graving dock handled the Liaoning refit and the assembly of Shandong, giving analysts a reference point for comparing construction sequences, hull form and pace. (features.csis.org) The pace itself is part of the story. CSIS said prefabricated hull components that first appeared in a Dalian dry dock in early 2025 had, in less than a year, been assembled into a clearly recognizable hull. That public timeline is one reason outside observers are tracking the shipyard closely through commercial imagery. (skyfi.com) ### How much of the “Type 004” profile should readers treat cautiously? Claims about displacement, catapult count, aircraft capacity and exact reactor layout should be treated as provisional unless China confirms them. CSIS said speculation about the ship’s size, propulsion and capabilities is widespread, while its own tracker is intended to separate what imagery shows from what remains rumor. (features.csis.org) As of May 23, China’s Ministry of National Defense website did not provide a public confirmation of the vessel’s propulsion system, and the most detailed public reporting still comes from imagery-based analysis by outside researchers. (features.csis.org) CSIS said the carrier will still need years of construction, fitting out and sea trials after launch before it could enter service. (eng.mod.gov.cn)