China's aircraft carrier construction is “smoothly”, and the platform will be submerged at the end of this year or early 2021, ordnance Industry Science Technology said in a report.

Chinese media have published photos of the ship taken in September 2020.

Satellite images in May and June drew attention to some sections brought to Shanghai-based Jiangnan Shipyard. These sections are estimated to belong to China's third aircraft carrier and were brought in for the final assembly.

The shipyard, a subsidiary of state-owned China State Shipbuilding Corp., announced in May 2020 that it had launched its first large floating dry pool (Floating Dry Docks) to carry large ship modules.

The U.S. Department of Defence’s recent 2020 annual report to Congress on China's military power also included information that China has the world's largest navy with an inventory of 350 ships and submarines, while the U.S. navy has about 293 ships in early 2020.