China's Most-Advanced Aircraft Carrier Tests US Ally
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The most-advanced but yet-to-be-commissioned Chinese aircraft carrier, CNS Fujian, was reportedly conducting operations in the disputed waters near South Korea, a United States ally.
Newsweek has reached out to the South Korean Foreign Ministry for comment by email. The Chinese Defense Ministry did not immediately respond to a written request for comment.
Why It Matters
China and South Korea established the Provisional Measures Zone (PMZ) in the Yellow Sea under a 2000 agreement, where their 230-mile-wide exclusive economic zones (EEZs) overlap. In late May, China declared "no-sail zones" within the PMZ for military exercises.
What To Know
China has the largest navy in the world by hull count, with over 370 ships and submarines—including two aircraft carriers in active service. Its third carrier, the Fujian, is continuing sea trials as part of its "construction process," the Chinese Defense Ministry previously said.
Unlike its predecessors, which use a ski-jump flight deck for aircraft takeoffs, the Fujian is equipped with electromagnetic catapults, enabling it to launch heavier aircraft. A Pentagon report said that the warship is expected to become operational in the first half of 2025.
Citing "multiple South Korean government sources," the local newspaper The Chosun Ilbo reported on Friday that the Fujian conducted flight operations with carrier-based aircraft in the PMZ from May 22 to 28, while three Chinese "no-sail zones" in the area were in effect.
The report said this was the first time a Chinese aircraft carrier conducted such operations in the PMZ. The South Korean Joint Chiefs of Staff confirmed to the newspaper that it had tracked and analyzed the Chinese naval activity, which lasted less than a week.
Satellite images shared by @d_viekass, an open-source intelligence analyst on X (formerly Twitter), show that the Fujian was no longer visible at a shipyard in Shanghai—where it was built—as early as May 22. It returned a week later after completing its eighth sea trial.
From a military perspective, the PMZ—located outside Chinese and South Korean territorial waters—is not ideal terrain for aircraft carriers. "This is more about asserting that 'we can do whatever we want in our front yard,'" a South Korean defense source told The Chosun Ilbo.
The newspaper's editorial claimed that the shallow depth of the Yellow Sea, as well as its vulnerability to anti-ship missiles, makes the PMZ "unsuitable" for aircraft-carrier operations.
South Korean military data shows that China has maintained a persistent naval presence in the PMZ and South Korea's sole EEZ, but outside the U.S. ally's territorial waters that extend up to 13.8 miles from the coastline.
What People Are Saying
The Chosun Ilbo wrote in an editorial on Sunday: "In this zone, where the maritime boundary with South Korea remains undefined, China had already installed fixed structures and large buoys believed to have military purposes. Now it has brought in a carrier as well. This likely signals an intent to turn the [Yellow Sea] into Chinese territorial waters and to build military power against the South Korea-U. S. and Japan-U. S. alliances."
CNS "Fujian," China's third aircraft carrier, starts its maiden sea trial in Shanghai, China, on May 1, 2024.
CNS "Fujian," China's third aircraft carrier, starts its maiden sea trial in Shanghai, China, on May 1, 2024.
Pu Haiyang/VCG via AP
The Chinese Foreign Ministry said following a meeting between Chinese and South Korean officials in April: "The two sides also agreed to enhance mutual trust and strive to make the Yellow Sea into a sea of peace, friendship and cooperation, while jointly promoting the continuous development of the China-ROK strategic cooperative partnership."
ROK stands for Republic of Korea, the official name of South Korea.
What Happens Next
It remains to be seen how South Korea will enhance its presence in the PMZ—including naval patrols and exercises—to counter growing Chinese activity in the disputed waters.
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