PLA’s Fujian aircraft carrier transits Taiwan Strait as Taipei watches closely
Island’s defence ministry says vessel’s passage through the waterway showed ‘no military intent’ and no aircraft were seen on its deck
The ministry also released a surveillance photograph of the Fujian, reportedly captured by F-16 fighter jets, showing no carrier-based aircraft on its flight deck during the transit.
Taiwanese Defence Minister Wellington Koo Li-hsiung said the island’s military “monitored the PLA’s operation throughout, and the photos show that the Fujian had no carrier-based aircraft on board”.
“It is presumed that it is returning to the Changxing Island shipyard in Shanghai for maintenance,” Koo told the island’s legislature. “Current observations suggest that the Fujian’s transit through the Taiwan Strait has no military intent.”
Beijing has not commented on the Fujian’s reported activity.