The aircraft carrier Fujian (CV-18), belonging to the People’s Liberation Army Navy of China (PLAN), carried out its first official deployment through the Taiwan Strait, according to statements by Taiwan’s defense authorities. The transit took place on Tuesday and was monitored by the Taiwanese armed forces.
According to a statement from Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense, as of 6:00 a.m. on Wednesday (local time, UTC+8), nine sorties by People’s Liberation Army (PLA) aircraft and seven PLAN vessels were detected operating in the vicinity of the island. The ministry noted that five of the nine aircraft crossed the median line of the strait and entered the northern and southwestern sectors of Taiwan’s Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ).
Taiwan’s defense authority stated in a post on the social media platform X that its forces had “monitored” the situation and responded in accordance with established procedures. From Beijing, China’s Ministry of National Defense has repeatedly reiterated that Taiwan is part of China and that there is no such thing as a “median line” in the Taiwan Strait, as stated by its spokesperson, Jiang Bin.
This was not the Fujian’s first transit through the strait. On September 12, PLAN spokesperson Captain Leng Guowei reported that China’s third aircraft carrier had crossed the Taiwan Strait to conduct scientific trials and training missions in the South China Sea. On that occasion, Leng stated that “the Fujian’s trans-sea trials and training are a normal arrangement within the aircraft carrier’s construction process and are not directed against any specific target.”
According to official reports, the Fujian was built in Shanghai and, after entering the South China Sea via the Taiwan Strait, was commissioned on November 5 at a naval port in Sanya, in China’s Hainan Province. The commissioning ceremony was presided over by President Xi Jinping, according to the Xinhua news agency.
Taiwanese media, citing the head of the island’s defense authority, reported that the aircraft carrier may be returning to its shipyard in Shanghai for upgrades, as no aircraft were observed on its flight deck. In this context, Chinese military analyst Song Zhongping told Global Times that the Fujian’s destination “could indeed be its shipyard in Shanghai,” explaining that after an initial intensive phase of testing and training, it is reasonable for the vessel to require maintenance and technical adjustments.
Another Chinese military expert, Wang Yunfei, told the same outlet that it is also possible the Fujian may continue conducting additional training and exercises. Wang further noted that PLAN warship transits through the Taiwan Strait are a routine practice.
When asked on November 8 about the Fujian’s future trials and the timeline for achieving full combat capability, Leng Guowei stated that, as China’s first aircraft carrier equipped with electromagnetic catapults, the Fujian represents a milestone in the development of the PLAN. He noted that following its commissioning, the ship will continue with in-depth trials, integration training with embarked aircraft, and formation exercises, with the aim of progressively enhancing its operational capabilities.
The Fujian’s transit also coincided with the sixth anniversary of the commissioning of the aircraft carrier Shandong (CV-17). The PLAN reported that the Shandong recently returned to a naval port in Sanya after completing its latest maritime training mission of the year, highlighting that over the past six years it has steadily expanded its operational reach and integrated combat capabilities.
Images for illustrative purposes.
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