China’s most advanced aircraft carrier, the Fujian, has made waves—literally and figuratively—by sailing through the Taiwan Strait and into the South China Sea during a series of high-profile sea trials this September. The move, which took place on September 12, 2025, comes as tensions remain high in two of the world’s most sensitive waterways, and as regional powers keep a close watch on Beijing’s growing naval might.
The Chinese navy described the Fujian’s journey as part of its ongoing scientific research and training missions, emphasizing that it was a routine step in the carrier’s construction process and “not directed at any specific target,” according to Reuters. Still, the timing and route of the trial have caught international attention, especially as U.S. Marines and Japanese forces conduct their own military exercises on Okinawa, just to the northeast, with advanced anti-ship weaponry. Those drills are set to continue until September 25, heightening the sense of military posturing in the region.
The Fujian, China’s third aircraft carrier and by far its most sophisticated, was first unveiled in 2022 and began sea trials in 2024. As of mid-September 2025, it has not yet been officially commissioned, but its latest voyage marks the ninth round of sea trials, suggesting that its formal entry into service is imminent. The carrier’s departure from the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai on September 10 was swiftly followed by sightings reported by Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force. On September 11, Japanese officials detected the Fujian, accompanied by the destroyers Hangzhou and Jinan, about 200 kilometers northwest of the Senkaku Islands (known as the Diaoyu in China), heading southwest toward Taiwan.
Japan’s defense ministry noted that the carrier entered the East China Sea and was sailing in the direction of Taiwan, escorted by two missile destroyers. Taiwan’s defense ministry, for its part, responded that it has been closely monitoring the situation through joint intelligence surveillance and has taken what it called “appropriate measures” to ensure its security. According to marineinsight.com, Taiwan’s government reiterated its rejection of Beijing’s sovereignty claims, asserting that “only the island’s people have the right to decide their future.”
Beijing, meanwhile, has insisted that the Fujian’s transit through the Taiwan Strait is nothing unusual. Senior Captain Leng Guowei, spokesperson for the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), stated the carrier’s mission was for “scientific research trials and training tasks, not targeting any specific entity.” Yet, the context surrounding the voyage suggests broader strategic objectives. Over the past five years, China has ramped up its military presence around Taiwan, staging war games and regular patrols to press its sovereignty claims. The Taiwan Strait itself is a flashpoint, with China considering it part of its territorial waters—a position rejected by Taiwan, the U.S., and many of Washington’s allies, who maintain it is an international waterway.
Beyond the Taiwan Strait, the South China Sea remains another arena of rising tension. China claims almost the entire sea, a stance fiercely contested by neighboring countries such as the Philippines and Vietnam. The Fujian’s southward movement is widely interpreted as a demonstration of China’s growing control over these maritime regions. Analysts cited by Reuters and regional defense experts see the deployment as both a test of the carrier’s capabilities and a form of “naval signaling,” showing the flag in disputed waters and responding to recent joint naval exercises conducted by the U.S., India, Australia, and Canada in partnership with the Philippines.
The Fujian itself represents a leap forward in Chinese naval technology. Unlike its predecessors—the Shandong, commissioned in 2019, and the Liaoning, acquired second-hand from Ukraine in 1998—the Fujian was fully designed and built domestically. It boasts a flat flight deck and electromagnetic catapults, allowing it to launch a broader array of aircraft, including early-warning planes and, eventually, China’s first carrier-based stealth fighter jets. The carrier’s long-range defense zone is expected to extend beyond 600 kilometers, significantly enhancing the reach and flexibility of China’s naval operations in the Western Pacific.
According to Chieh Chung, a researcher at the Association of Strategic Foresight in Taipei, once the Fujian enters full service, it will enable China to maintain three carrier strike groups in tactical positions across the region. “Given the Fujian can also carry fixed-wing early warning aircraft, unlike the two other carriers, that extends its long-range ‘defense zone’ beyond 600 km (373 miles),” Chung explained to Reuters. This development, he noted, will give the People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) unprecedented flexibility in force deployment, raising the level of threat perceived by Taiwan and other regional actors.
From a military perspective, the Fujian’s current trials are about more than just testing its own combat readiness. The carrier is believed to be integrating with the Sanya naval base on Hainan Island and coordinating with naval aviation units at Lingshui Air Base. Its primary aircraft at present are likely J-15T fighters, but a key focus is on testing the new KJ-600 airborne early warning aircraft with the carrier’s electromagnetic catapults. This technological leap is expected to enable more systematized air combat operations, although, as analysts point out, full combat effectiveness may not be achieved until early 2026, after extensive pilot training for catapult-assisted launches and recoveries.
Interestingly, the PLAN’s aircraft carriers are not assigned to specific theater commands but report directly to Navy Headquarters, allowing for flexible mission assignments—a structure reminiscent of the U.S. Navy’s approach. With the Fujian’s commissioning anticipated around China’s National Day on October 1, the PLA is poised to enter what many are calling a “three-carrier era.” This shift means China could maintain a permanent naval presence in the Western Pacific, with one carrier always on station, and conduct large-scale exercises that could see three carriers operating in concert. Some experts warn of the possibility of a “three-carrier blockade” encircling Taiwan in future exercises, a scenario that would mark a significant escalation in regional military dynamics.
While the Fujian is not yet combat-ready, its presence already serves as a deterrent and a message to both Taiwan and other regional actors, particularly the Philippines. The deployment comes on the heels of recent confrontations between Chinese and Philippine vessels and is seen as a response to Manila’s growing cooperation with the U.S. and other allies. For Taiwan, the immediate risk remains limited—at least until the Fujian reaches full operational capacity—but the long-term military-security implications are clear. The carrier’s presence in the South China Sea will also serve to constrain the activities of U.S., Australian, and Philippine forces in the region.
As the Fujian continues its trials and moves toward commissioning, the world will be watching closely. Its emergence signals not just a technological milestone for China but a new phase in the ongoing contest for influence and security in the Asia-Pacific. For now, the waters remain tense, the stakes high, and the next chapter in this maritime drama still unwritten.
