China's Fujian aircraft carrier transits Taiwan Strait

China's newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, sailed through the Taiwan Strait on June 23, the first such passage since April. Taiwan's defence ministry confirmed the transit and said the military used joint intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance methods to closely monitor the vessel, releasing a black‑and‑white aerial photo that showed no aircraft on its deck.

The Fujian, equipped with a flat flight deck and electromagnetic catapults, represents a more potent naval platform than China's earlier carriers, Liaoning and Shandong. China asserts sole sovereignty over the strait, while Taiwan and the United States maintain it is an international waterway. Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council minister Chiu Chui‑cheng warned that Beijing's pressure campaign would not compel the island to surrender its democratic system.

The transit follows earlier carrier movements, with the Liaoning passing in April and the Fujian last crossing in mid‑December. The United States routinely sends warships through the strait, underscoring the dispute over its legal status.