By Jia Feimao | 2025-09-12

Chinese naval power is growing, with implications for Taiwan and other countries in the South China Sea.

China's newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on September 11 and into the South China Sea as part of its sea trials, raising speculation it may soon enter service.

China has two older carriers, the Liaoning and Shandong.

Imagery released by the Japanese Defense Ministry Joint Staff Office showed the Fujian's empty flight deck, suggesting the voyage was focused on trials.

The voyage is devoted to "scientific research and training missions," Reuters quoted the Chinese navy as saying.

"This cross-regional trial and training exercise ... is not directed at any specific target," the navy continued.

Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force visually confirmed the carrier a day earlier in the East China Sea. It spotted the Fujian 200km northwest of the Senkaku Islands, accompanied by two missile destroyers.

Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said it had been monitoring the ships and had "taken appropriate measures," said Reuters.

A senior Taiwanese security official told Reuters the carrier was likely heading to the South China Sea in preparation for commissioning.

"Chinese naval vessels operating in the relevant waters fully comply with China's domestic law and international law," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a press briefing September 12.

The South China Sea offers better conditions for systematic testing than the East China Sea does, and transiting the Taiwan Strait was the most practical route, said naval analyst Li Jian, according to a post on Chinese state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV)'s Weibo account.

Combining trials with training speeds up the carrier's combat readiness, he said.

China's 3rd carrier

The Fujian, unveiled in 2022, is China's third aircraft carrier and the first built with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS).

A CCTV documentary aired on August 3 had already showcased the carrier's EMALS, including the launch of a J-15T fighter jet. Tian Wei, a crew member of the Fujian, said in the program: "What we are refining is not just the Fujian's catapult launch process but the launch procedures for all catapult-equipped carriers."

The ship began sea trials last year but has yet to enter service. Unlike its predecessors Liaoning and Shandong, which use ski-jump ramps, the Fujian employs three catapult tracks and arresting gear, enabling multiple launches at once.

China has not disclosed the carrier's commissioning date or homeport. Analysts speculate it could be commissioned on a symbolic date for China, such as September 18 or October 1.

The ship may be homeported at Yulin Naval Base on Hainan island or in Fujian province, directly across from Taiwan.

More aircraft, faster launches

A "five-piece set" of carrier-based aircraft includes stealth fighters, multi-role catapult-launched fighters, fixed-wing early warning aircraft, fixed-wing electronic warfare aircraft and antisubmarine helicopters, said Chinese military commentator Zhang Junshe in the documentary.

These, he said, are expected to be fully deployed on the Fujian.

The catapult system boosts efficiency, said Su Tzu-yun, director of the Division of Defense Strategy and Resources at Taiwan's Institute for National Defense and Security Research.

Fighters that once needed 90 seconds to launch now need only one minute.

"This allows the Fujian to launch more aircraft in a given time, creating a denser aerial firepower network," he told Focus.

The Fujian can carry about 60 aircraft, including up to 40 J-15T's. It is capable of launching early warning planes, extending its long-range "defense zone" beyond 600km, according to Taiwanese researcher Chieh Chung.

By comparison, the Liaoning carries 24 fighters and the Shandong 36.

More carriers, more naval reach

Having three carriers will enable Beijing to keep one in port, another deployed to the South China Sea and a third operating near the strategic first island chain, said Chieh.

That chain includes Japan, the Philippines and Taiwan.

The Fujian is best suited for deployment east of Taiwan, beyond the island chain, Chieh told Voice of America last year.

From there, the carrier could strike Taiwan's eastern air and naval bases with cruise missiles while blocking US and allied forces from intervening in the Western Pacific.

Regional analysts say the carrier's entry into service would alter the strategic balance.

"Once the ship officially becomes part of the growing Chinese naval fleet, the impact will be felt throughout a region with myriad potential conflict spots, including Taiwan," Japan's Kyodo News reported.

Taiwan's government rejects Beijing's claims over the island.

China considers the Taiwan Strait its territorial waters, while Taiwan, the United States and their allies regard it as an international waterway consistent with the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea.