Exercise without "specific objective": New Chinese aircraft carrier crosses Taiwan Strait

China's largest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is passing through the Taiwan Strait. Officially, the voyage is for testing and research purposes. Japan is eyeing the new ship, particularly because of the Senkaku Islands.

China has sent its new aircraft carrier, the Fujian, through the Taiwan Strait. The ship was underway in the South China Sea for "scientific research tests and training exercises," the Chinese Navy stated. This was a "normal part of the aircraft carrier's construction process," it added. The carrier's voyage had "no specific purpose."

The Japanese Defense Ministry said it spotted the ship and two Chinese destroyers Thursday afternoon in the East China Sea north of Taiwan. The ships were moving toward the disputed Senkaku Islands. Last year, the Japanese Navy spotted Chinese vessels near the disputed islands, known in China as Diaoyu, a record 335 times.

Increased application possibilities?

The Fujian is China's third and largest aircraft carrier; the Navy has been testing it at sea since 2024. It was named after the Chinese province opposite Taiwan. According to US defense experts, the carrier's more advanced launch systems will enable the deployment of fighter jets with greater cargo and refueling capacities.

China has conducted several large-scale military exercises around Taiwan in recent years. Beijing views democratic and self-governing Taiwan as a breakaway province that seeks to be reunified with the mainland—if necessary by military force.

In addition, Beijing claims almost the entire South China Sea for itself. However, other Asian states such as the Philippines, Vietnam, Indonesia, and Malaysia also lay claim to parts of the area. Beijing has exacerbated these territorial disputes, among other things, by constructing artificial islands and military installations in the area.