# Western Pacific

China Accelerates Build of ‘004’ Nuclear Carrier, Pressing a Strategic Window in the Western Pacific

Chinese media and imagery indicate accelerated construction of a large fourth carrier, 004, at Dalian with a reported waterline wider than the US Ford class and likely nuclear propulsion. Fitted with four EMALS and expected to enter service in the late 2020s, the ship is portrayed domestically as a capability to extend China’s reach beyond the first island chain and contest US maritime dominance in the Western Pacific.