China's new Fujian carrier sails through Taiwan Strait amid ongoing sea trials

The People’s Liberation Army Navy’s newest aircraft carrier, Fujian (CV‑18), entered service in November 2025 as China’s third and most advanced carrier, equipped with domestically‑built electromagnetic catapults. On 23 June the ship crossed the Taiwan Strait, the first Chinese carrier to do so since April, while Taiwan’s armed forces tracked the movement with surveillance assets and reported 11 Chinese aircraft and six warships operating nearby.

China is simultaneously conducting extensive sea‑trial exercises for Fujian. After two weeks of maneuvers in the Pacific, the carrier returned to its home base at Qingdao and will continue testing through 2026 to achieve full operational capability, including coordinated launches of stealth drones and fighter aircraft such as the J‑35 and J‑15T.