Satellite imagery captured this week shows China is significantly expanding its Yuchi Naval Base in Qingdao, a major facility that houses the country's first aircraft carrier, CNS Liaoning. The construction, which includes new piers capable of hosting large vessels, signals a deepening investment in strategic naval infrastructure amid Beijing's push to rival U.S. maritime dominance.
According to a Chinese military observer cited by Newsweek, at least four new piers are under construction at the northeastern base, including one that is approximately 328 feet wide and appears suitable for aircraft carriers and large support ships. The remaining three piers, each about 131 feet wide, are likely designed for destroyers and other surface combatants.
The expansion suggests China is preparing to homeport a second aircraft carrier at Yuchi in addition to Liaoning. The country's second carrier, CNS Shandong, is based at Yulin Naval Base in Sanya, southern China. The third carrier, CNS Fujian, remains unassigned and is docked at a shipyard in Shanghai. The Chinese military has yet to announce its homeport.
"A carrier doesn't act alone, it also needs to provide support facilities for the entire [carrier strike] group," the anonymous observer told Newsweek. "Currently there are no bases of this size other than the homeports of the three major fleets."
Alex Luck, a naval analyst based in Australia, said the development marks the "most dramatic expansion" of China's carrier-supporting infrastructure in recent years. "The benefit of tracking infrastructure is that these efforts are generally easier to observe, including on commercial satellite imagery, compared to naval construction," Luck said. "The basing infrastructure allows you to judge future scale and force mix to a reasonable extent regardless of such restrictions."
The Pentagon estimates that China's navy includes over 370 ships and submarines, making it the largest in the world by hull count. The U.S. currently operates 11 aircraft carriers, stationed at bases in Virginia, California, Washington, and Yokosuka, Japan.
While Yulin is also undergoing upgrades, it has no new pier designed for an aircraft carrier, reinforcing speculation that Yuchi may become the primary host for CNS Fujian once commissioned. The expansion reflects broader strategic ambitions, as each of China's three theater naval commands-Northern, Eastern, and Southern-includes carrier-capable infrastructure, though only a few facilities are scaled for full carrier operations.
"Any naval force is only a useful asset as long as the related infrastructure can support their operations," Luck said.
