On November 5, the flag-raising ceremony for my country's first electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier Fujian was held at a military port in Sanya, Hainan. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the flag-presenting ceremony and boarded the ship for inspection. This is Xi Jinping awarding the military flag to the captain and political commissar of the Fujian ship. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Gang

Xinhua News Agency, Sanya, November 7 (Reporter Mei Changwei) The flag-raising ceremony for my country's first electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier Fujian was held at a military port in Sanya, Hainan on the 5th. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the flag-presenting ceremony and boarded the ship for inspection.

In November in Sanya, the sea is vast, the sky is high, and the blue waves are vast. In the naval port, the Fujian warship stood on the sea with flags hanging high, and the Shandong warship accompanied the waves. More than 2,000 representatives from the naval force and aircraft carrier construction units lined up at the dock, and the atmosphere was solemn and warm.

On November 5, the flag-raising ceremony for my country's first electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier Fujian was held at a military port in Sanya, Hainan. Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, and Chairman of the Central Military Commission, attended the flag-presenting ceremony and boarded the ship for inspection. This is a group photo taken by Xi Jinping with carrier-based aircraft pilots and aviation support personnel. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Li Gang

At around 4:30 p.m., the flag-presenting ceremony began, with the entire audience singing the national anthem of the People's Republic of China and the five-star red flag rising slowly. The guard of honor guarded the August 1st military flag and walked forward to the rostrum. Xi Jinping awarded the August 1st military flag to the captain and political commissar of the Fujian ship. The captain and political commissar of the Fujian ship saluted Xi Jinping and received the August 1st military flag from Xi Jinping. Xi Jinping took photos with them. The flag-presenting ceremony ended with the military songs of the Chinese People's Liberation Army.

Xi Jinping has always paid close attention to the development of my country’s aircraft carrier construction. After the ceremony, Xi Jinping boarded the Fujian ship and listened to a report on my country's aircraft carrier construction and development work, and learned about the formation of the aircraft carrier system's combat capabilities and the construction and application of the electromagnetic catapult system.

On the wide flight deck, four blocking cables and three ejection take-off positions are particularly eye-catching. New carrier-based aircraft such as the J-35, J-15T, and Kongjing-600 are parked in sequence. Xi Jinping listened to the introduction of the functional layout of the deck and stopped to inspect the equipment and facilities from time to time. Xi Jinping had a cordial exchange with the carrier-based aircraft pilots, inquired in detail about the aircraft's technical and tactical performance and electromagnetic ejection characteristics and advantages, and watched a demonstration of the carrier-based aircraft's ejection and release process. When the aviation support personnel wearing vests of various colors saw President Xi's arrival, they gathered around, said hello to President Xi, and reported on their respective positions and main responsibilities. Xi Jinping encouraged everyone to continuously improve their professional skills and combat capabilities and contribute to the construction of the Fujian ship's combat effectiveness.

Subsequently, Xi Jinping went to Fujian Ship Island and boarded the tower to learn about flight command and take-off and landing operations. Xi Jinping entered the bridge, inspected the duty stations, and solemnly signed the docking log. Xi Jinping personally decided that the Fujian ship will adopt electromagnetic catapult technology. He came to the integrated ejection control station, carefully observed the work process, and pressed the ejection button. The unloaded mover on the deck bounced towards the bow of the ship like an arrow from a string. Xi Jinping was very concerned about the lives of the officers and soldiers on the ship. He came to the dining hall and the soldier cabin to inspect the food and accommodation conditions, communicated cordially with the soldiers, and urged all levels to provide all aspects of support so that the officers and soldiers can better devote themselves to troop building and preparation for war.

When leaving, all the officers and soldiers on the ship were reluctant to leave. They lined up neatly on the flight deck and dock, saluted President Xi, and shouted in unison, "Listen to the party's command, be able to win battles, and have a good work style."

Cai Qi and Zhang Guoqing attended the flag-presenting ceremony of the Fujian ship being commissioned. Zhang Shengmin presided over the ceremony.

The Fujian ship is my country's first electromagnetic catapult aircraft carrier and also my country's third aircraft carrier. It has a hull number of "18" and will be launched and named in June 2022. The Fujian ship was designed and built completely independently by my country, and its electromagnetic ejection technology is at the world's advanced level.

Responsible comrades from relevant departments of the central and state agencies, relevant departments of the Central Military Commission, the Southern Theater Command, the Navy, Hainan Province and aircraft carrier construction units attended the ceremony.