The Fujian is the country’s first domestically designed aircraft carrier and was commissioned in November.
However, the most advanced US ships – the Gerald R. Ford class – have three catapults compared with the Chinese ship’s two, making their launch process faster and more efficient.
The article in the Shipborne Weapons Defence Review also identified problems that it said could only be overcome by making future carriers nuclear-powered.
The first two Chinese carriers were based on Soviet-era designs, but the Fujian can carry a full spectrum of aircraft, ranging from fifth-generation stealth fighters and surveillance planes to drones.