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By Ryan Chan
China News Reporter
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China, which has the world's largest naval force by hull count, is expanding its fleet of large destroyers as imagery suggests a new vessel may have already entered service.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Why It Matters
As part of its naval fleet of more than 370 ships, the Chinese military has eight 10,000-ton-class Type 055 large destroyers as its premier surface combatants. Each vessel is capable of carrying up to 112 missiles of various types, including hypersonic weapons.
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A fast-growing and capable navy, along with a sophisticated long-range missile force, helps China deter the United States from intervening in a potential conflict in the South China Sea or Taiwan by threatening U.S. forces operating in the western Pacific.
China's continuous buildup of naval power comes as the U.S. rapidly bolsters its fleet of warships, including the planned "Golden Fleet," which would center on up to 25 battleships, each displacing more than 35,000 tons and armed with up to 140 missiles.
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What To Know
Imagery circulated on social media on Tuesday claims the 10th Type 055 warship was spotted for the first time with its hull number, "110," applied. The exact location and date of the photo, which Newsweek has not independently verified, remain unclear.
China commissioned the first and eighth Type 055 vessels, CNS Nanchang and CNS Xianyang, respectively, between January 2020 and March 2023. This group of ships, forming the first Type 055 batch, has been assigned hull numbers "101" through "108."
In a Naval News article earlier this month, Australia-based naval analyst Alex Luck said China has likely completed construction of the second Type 055 batch, consisting of six ships built at shipyards in Jiangnan and Dalian, with three hulls assigned to each.
The ninth Type 055 ship was seen in a January 2025 photo without its presumed hull number, "109," applied. Luck commented at the time that the vessel "looks close to commissioning."
The analyst noted that at least four Type 055 warships from the second batch might be assigned to the Chinese Eastern Theater Command, which is responsible for military operations related to Taiwan, citing social media imagery that circulated in December.
The first batch is divided between the Northern and Southern Theater Commands—overseeing the Korean Peninsula and the South China Sea—with four vessels assigned to each. It remains unclear whether the commands will receive additional Type 055 ships.
Meanwhile, Monday marked the sixth anniversary of the Nanchang's commissioning. The state-run People's Daily reported that as of January 2025, the lead ship of the Type 055 large destroyer has conducted multiple missions, sailing more than 12,658 miles.
CNS Dalian, one of the Nanchang's sister ships, recently took part in live-fire combat training in the South China Sea to verify its capabilities in "operational command and emergency response," China's Defense Ministry said in footage released on Tuesday.
What People Are Saying
The Pentagon's Chinese military power report read: "China's historic military buildup has made the U.S. homeland increasingly vulnerable. China maintains a large and growing arsenal of nuclear, maritime, conventional long-range strike, cyber, and space capabilities able to directly threaten Americans' security."
Australia-based naval analyst Alex Luck commented: "The [People's Liberation Army Navy, PLAN] surface fleet already benefits from veritable quantitative advantages projecting power into the waters around the People's Republic of China. Meanwhile, qualitative and numerical growth of PLAN does not appear to slow down."
What Happens Next
The Type 055 large destroyer is designed to protect aircraft carriers as part of task forces. It remains to be seen whether China will resume Type 055 production with a third batch to support its reported goal of having nine aircraft carriers by 2035.
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