China’s newest and most powerful carrier, the Fujian, has transited the Taiwan Strait, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry reports.
TAIPEI, Taiwan — The Fujian carrier, China’s most powerful of its three, transited the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday, the Taiwanese defense ministry reported, following a five‑day exercise to rehearse responses to a potential Chinese attack.
The Fujian carrier first traversed the narrow waterway separating China and Taiwan during a September trial and completed its inaugural transit as a fully commissioned warship in December.
Beijing asserts sovereignty over Taiwan and reserves the option of force to bring the island under its control. In recent years, China has heightened naval and aerial incursions toward Taiwan, now occurring almost daily.
Taiwan launched a five‑day exercise on Monday to enhance its readiness in the event of a possible Chinese military incursion.
The U.S. Navy periodically dispatches warships through the strait, as do several allied navies, as a warning to Beijing against any use of force to assert its claim over Taiwan.
The Fujian entered service in November 2025. It is the world’s largest non‑nuclear‑powered warship, according to the U.S. Naval Institute, and is regarded as more advanced than China’s other carriers, the Shandong and Liaoning.
