China says carrier mission poses no threat

The tests and training operations by CNS Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier, in the South China Sea are regular arrangements in the ship's development project and are not directed against any other country or specific target, a military spokesperson said on Tuesday.

Senior Colonel Jiang Bin, a spokesman for the Defense Ministry, said the Fujian recently passed through the Taiwan Strait to its designated mission area in the South China Sea to conduct tests and training operations. He noted the move is in line with related international laws and practice, posing no threat to any specific nation or target.

"China adheres to the path of peaceful development and pursues a defensive national defense policy. We have always advanced the construction of aircraft carriers in accordance with the needs of national security and the development of equipment and technology. As a major hardware, the Fujian will surely play its due role in safeguarding national sovereignty, security, and interests," he said.

It is the first time the Fujian has operated in the South China Sea and marks the longest voyage the carrier has made so far.

The Fujian, one of China's most important pieces of military hardware, was officially unveiled in June 2022 in Shanghai when it was towed out of China State Shipbuilding Corp's Jiangnan Shipyard.

Since then, the vessel has undergone several sea trials and is nearly ready to be commissioned.

It is the first Chinese carrier equipped with an electromagnetic catapult, the most critical component on a supercarrier as it is responsible for launching fighter jets.