What to make of China’s new aircraft-carrier
A big and expensive demonstration of its ambitions
The aircraft-carrier has long been a symbol of military might. Admiral William Halsey, who commanded an early American one and led Allied forces in the South Pacific during the second world war, described it in 1942 as the best way to “get to the other fellow with everything you have, as fast as you can, and to dump it on him.” That has held true for most of the eight decades since, during which carriers played a key role in conflicts from Korea to Libya. They remain critical to ensuring American military dominance in Asia as friction with China intensifies, especially over Taiwan.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline "Catapulting forward"
From the June 25th 2022 edition
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