China's newly-developed Type 076 amphibious assault ship is set to outperform the previous Type 075 class by enabling amphibious operations over greater distances and in more multidimensional ways, marking a significant leap in the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy's capabilities, said a senior military expert.
Type 076 new-generation amphibious assault ship, the Sichuan, was launched in Shanghai on Friday. Named after southwest China's Sichuan Province, the independently-developed new vessel was put into the water at a launch and naming ceremony. It was given the hull number 51.
With a full-load displacement of over 40,000 tonnes, the ship features innovative electromagnetic catapult and arrestor technologies, enabling it to carry fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and amphibious equipment.
Military expert Du Wenlong has called the Sichuan amphibious assault ship a "pioneer" for the development of the Navy's future carrier-based weapons systems.
"Overall, both the displacement and external dimensions have seen significant improvements, which means that the number of carrier-based aircraft and the variety of models will increase noticeably. Additionally, due to its larger size, the ship can carry more heavy equipment, such as hovercraft and other amphibious vessels, which will significantly enhance its capacity for landing operations and troop deployment. This means the ship will be capable of executing amphibious operations at greater distances and in a more multidimensional manner. At the same time, the increased number and variety of carrier-based aircraft will also play a pioneering role in the future development of our Navy's carrier-based weaponry," Du said.
Following its launch, the ship will undergo a series of planned tests, including equipment commissioning, mooring tests, and sea trials.
The Navy had previously developed the Type 075 amphibious assault ship, with three vessels -- Hainan, Guangxi, and Anhui -- already in service.
China's Type 076 assault ship enhances Navy's multidimensional capabilities: expert
China's achievements and cooperation initiatives in the technology and innovation sector have been highlighted at the ongoing Zhongguancun Forum (ZGC Forum) in Beijing.
The five-day forum opened on Wednesday and has attracted over 1,000 guests from more than 100 countries and regions to exchange views under the theme of "Full Integration Between Technological and Industrial Innovation".
This year's event showcased over 500 cutting-edge achievements across fields such as embodied intelligence, smart manufacturing and biomedicine, fully demonstrating China's latest scientific and technological advancements and innovations.
"[I'm] really impressed about the level of modernization and dynamism of the technology industry and AI here in China. We need support, commitment and leadership. China is providing all of them and in particular in the emerging technologies, including AI," said Sergio Mujica, secretary-general of the International Organization for Standardization.
At the forum's annual meeting, 60 parallel sessions are scheduled -- 21 of them debuting this year -- furthering global technology exchange.
"China is opening its full technical infrastructure to the world, and I think specifically for the Global South. This acts as a major advancement and it shows the level of responsibility and openness that China is showing towards the advancement of science and the collaboration," said Said Taha, a consultant for the Egyptian Ministry of Education.
At the 2026 Zhongguancun International Technology Trade Fair, part of the ZGC Forum, over 500 high-quality projects and scientific and technological achievements were on display, establishing a multi-level, wide-ranging platform for technology transaction and cooperation.
The attendees hailed the fair for bringing together global companies and facilitating exchanges.
"The innovation here in China is so attractive that a lot of global companies are coming to China in order to do the business deals in order to bring the products to the global markets," said Joseph Scheeren, member of the French National Academy of Pharmacy.
"The ZGC Forum provides an open platform for dialogue, and we hope to participate in more international cooperation in the future to promote Chinese technology and products to the world," said Yang Zhilin, CEO of Moonshot AI, a Chinese tech company.
China's technological contributions highlighted at Zhongguancun Forum
