Chinese state-run media mocks USS Abraham Lincoln: "The carrier is rusting, and so is U.S. hegemony"

[Financial News] China's state-run English-language newspaper Global Times published a commentary on the 3rd saying, "U.S. hegemony is the same," after reports emerged that the USS Abraham Lincoln had rusted following a lengthy maritime operation and withdrawal from the Middle East.
The newspaper also published an illustration of the bridge leaning at an angle atop a rusted, warped deck.
The outlet said, "The sight revealed to the public and captured on camera after 286 days of maritime operations was shocking," adding, "The massive warship was covered in rust and looked visibly exhausted." It continued, "The rust was not confined to the hull. It laid bare the hidden costs and accumulated burdens caused by America's excessive hegemonism."
On the 2nd, the USS Abraham Lincoln arrived at Laem Chabang Port in Thailand after completing a long-term deployment in the Middle East. It was the carrier's first port call since November last year. After resting and recharging, the crew will return to their home port in San Diego.
The newspaper noted that, after seeing the approximately 335-meter-long warship covered in rust, some social media users joked that it had "barely survived the Persian Gulf" and remarked that it might be "headed for the scrapyard."
The newspaper reported that the captain also acknowledged in a media interview that it "looks like a dirty car in a parking lot."
Military expert Zhang Junshe told Global Times that "harsh maritime conditions can accelerate corrosion, but the severe rust on the USS Abraham Lincoln was caused by its prolonged deployment in high-intensity operations."
The United States Navy (USN) has deployed four of its 11 aircraft carriers to the Middle East for the war with Iran, while the rest have entered extended maintenance.
Zhang said broader problems facing the USN—including a shortage of shipyard facilities, weakened maintenance capabilities, and a lack of skilled workers—were worsening the situation.
Shen Yi, director of Fudan University’s International Research Institute of Global Cyberspace Governance, said the USS Abraham Lincoln's current appearance stands in stark contrast to the hegemonic image of the United States long associated with its aircraft carriers.
He said the USS Abraham Lincoln's rusty appearance reflects serious problems beyond equipment maintenance, including deeper issues with military morale, organizational capabilities, and even the fundamental foundations supporting U.S. military power.
Shen said, "This is a concrete manifestation of muscle atrophy, showing that the gap between America's hegemonic ambitions and its actual capabilities is growing wider."
The newspaper noted, "The carrier's rust can be scrubbed off and its paint reapplied, but the structural fatigue of a system that relies excessively on military hegemony to maintain global influence cannot be covered up."
[email protected] International Affairs Specialist Lee Seok-woo Reporter