China’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, recently sailed through the Taiwan Strait into the South China Sea as part of sea trials, in what may signal its upcoming formal entry into service.
The Chinese navy said Friday that the voyage was conducted for scientific research and training purposes, describing it as a routine phase in the carrier’s development and not directed at any specific target, News.Az reports, citing Reuters.
First unveiled in 2022, the Fujian is China’s third aircraft carrier. It began sea trials last year but has not yet been officially commissioned.
The transit comes amid a U.S.-Japan military exercise on Okinawa, involving the Typhon missile system and other advanced anti-ship weapons. Japan’s defense ministry reported that the Fujian, accompanied by two Chinese missile destroyers, sailed southwest toward Taiwan through the East China Sea. Taiwan’s defense ministry said it has been monitoring the situation through joint intelligence surveillance.
A senior Taiwanese security official suggested that the Fujian is likely heading to the South China Sea in preparation for its commissioning ceremony. Chinese naval expert Li Jian told CCTV-affiliated social media that this voyage could represent the final stage of trials before the carrier officially enters service.
China has increased its military presence around Taiwan over the past five years, including war games, to reinforce sovereignty claims. Taiwan rejects these claims, emphasizing that its people alone determine the island’s future. While China considers the Taiwan Strait part of its territorial waters, Taiwan, the U.S., and other allies regard it as an international waterway.
The South China Sea has also seen rising Chinese military activity, despite territorial disputes with countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam.
Built domestically, the Fujian is larger and more advanced than China’s other carriers, the Shandong (commissioned 2019) and the Liaoning (purchased second-hand in 1998). Equipped with a flat deck and electromagnetic catapults, it can launch a broader range of aircraft, including early-warning planes and eventually carrier-capable stealth fighters.
Chieh Chung, a researcher at the Taipei-based Association of Strategic Foresight, said the Fujian will allow China to maintain three carrier strike groups in tactical positions across the Western Pacific. Unlike the other two carriers, the Fujian’s ability to carry fixed-wing early-warning aircraft extends its operational “defense zone” beyond 600 km (373 miles).
Regional security analysts are closely observing the Fujian’s trials to assess how effectively China’s navy can coordinate full-scale carrier operations with escort ships and submarines.
