China’s newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has sailed through the Taiwan Strait and entered the South China Sea during ongoing sea trials. The voyage covered two of the region’s most sensitive waterways.

According to the Chinese navy, the mission was carried out to conduct scientific research trials and training exercises. Officials described it as a routine part of the carrier’s construction process.

The Fujian is China’s third aircraft carrier and its most advanced to date. It was first unveiled in 2022, began trials last year and has not yet been formally commissioned into service.

The vessel, which was fully designed and built domestically, is significantly larger and more capable than China’s other two carriers, the Shandong, which entered service in 2019, and the Liaoning, purchased second-hand from Ukraine in 1998.

Video Credits: CGTN/YouTube

Japan’s defense ministry reported on Thursday that the Fujian had entered the East China Sea and was sailing southwest toward Taiwan, escorted by two Chinese missile destroyers.

Taiwan’s defense ministry said it has been monitoring the situation through joint intelligence surveillance and has taken appropriate defensive measures.

In recent years, China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including large-scale drills and patrols, as part of its sovereignty claims over the island. Taiwan’s government has repeatedly rejected Beijing’s stance, stating that only the island’s people have the right to decide their future.

Beijing considers the Taiwan Strait to be part of its territorial waters, a claim rejected by Taiwan, the U.S., and Washington’s allies, who say it is an international waterway. The South China Sea remains another area of growing tension. China claims most of the sea, though its claims are challenged by countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam.

The Fujian is equipped with a flat flight deck and electromagnetic catapults, enabling it to launch a wider range of aircraft than its predecessors. It is expected to carry early-warning aircraft and, eventually, China’s first carrier-based stealth fighter jets.

Reference: Reuters

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