China’s newest and most technologically advanced aircraft carrier has transited the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported, marking the first time a Chinese carrier has crossed the strategic waterway since April.
“The Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) aircraft carrier Fujian (CV-18) crossed the Taiwan Strait today [Tuesday]. Taiwan’s Armed Forces closely monitored its movements using joint intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance systems,” the ministry said in an official statement. The release was accompanied by a photograph of the vessel navigating without any aircraft on its flight deck.
The Fujian’s transit was notably not accompanied by a major spike in surrounding Chinese military activity. According to the ministry, 11 Chinese military aircraft and six naval vessels operated around Taiwan between 06:00 Tuesday and 06:00 Wednesday.
Equipped with a state-of-the-art electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS), the Fujian officially entered service in early November, becoming China’s third operational aircraft carrier and the most sophisticated flagship in its fleet. Designed and constructed entirely within China, the vessel displaces over 80,000 tons and represents a pivotal step in the People’s Liberation Army Navy’s goal to field six operational aircraft carriers by 2035.
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The carrier previously crossed the strait in mid-December, while China’s first carrier, the Liaoning, was the last to navigate the waters back in April.
The rapid modernization of the Chinese Navy continues to stoke deep anxieties among regional rivals, primarily driven by Beijing’s sweeping territorial claims over nearly the entire South China Sea and its aggressive posture toward Taiwan.
Speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Taiwan on Tuesday, Chiu Chui-cheng, the minister of the Mainland Affairs Council—the top government body handling relations with China—resolutely rejected Beijing’s “ultimate goal” of forced unification.
“Although Taiwan faces combined, growing, and unprecedented pressure, our determination to safeguard our sovereignty and democratic system has never been firmer,” Chiu declared. “This is our red line. On this point, there is no room for compromise. We will never yield to military threats and China’s escalating pressure. Taiwan will never surrender.”
Beijing considers Taiwan an “inalienable part” of its territory and refuses to rule out the use of force to bring the island under its control. This stance is flatly rejected by the Taiwanese government, which maintains that only the island’s 23 million residents have the legitimate right to decide their political future.
