At Least Eight Trial Voyages Conducted So Far
Expected to Be Delivered to Chinese Navy and Deployed Within This Year
It was confirmed on June 7 that China's newest aircraft carrier, the Fujian, conducted a trial voyage in the Provisional Measure Zone (PMZ) of the West Sea between China and South Korea in late May.
According to military authorities, China designated part of the PMZ as a navigation-restricted area, prohibiting vessel entry from May 22 to 27, and conducted maritime exercises in the area during that period, deploying the Fujian.
The PMZ is a maritime zone established in 2000 under the Korea-China Fisheries Agreement to mediate fishing disputes while the two countries were negotiating maritime boundary delimitation in the West Sea. It is located where the 200-nautical-mile Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZ) of both countries overlap. The area within the PMZ that China designated as a navigation-restricted zone this time is in international waters. The South Korean Navy also designates navigation-restricted zones in international waters within the PMZ and conducts maritime exercises there.
However, the military authorities are closely monitoring the activities of Chinese warships, as China installed structures such as buoys inside and outside the PMZ and even deployed an aircraft carrier for maritime exercises. It is also reported that the South Korean Navy dispatched vessels to nearby waters during China’s recent PMZ exercise to gather intelligence and conduct counter-navigation.
The Fujian, which was mobilized for this exercise, is China’s third aircraft carrier, following the Liaoning (No. 1) and the Shandong (No. 2), and was launched in 2022. The Fujian is the first Chinese carrier equipped with an electromagnetic catapult for launching aircraft. It reportedly has a displacement of 80,000 tons and can carry about 70 carrier-based aircraft, including J-15 and J-35 fighter jets.
Recently, a video was posted on Chinese social media platform Weibo showing a KJ-600 Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft taking off from the Fujian using the catapult. It is unclear whether this footage was taken during the trial voyage in the West Sea in late May.
A military official stated, "It has not been confirmed whether there were carrier takeoff and landing drills during this trial voyage of the Fujian," adding, "Further analysis is needed."
The Fujian is believed to have conducted at least eight trial voyages so far, leading to speculation that it is close to being fully operational.
According to the Chinese state-run English-language newspaper Global Times, based on official media reports, the Liaoning and Shandong each conducted 10 and 9 trial voyages, respectively, before becoming fully operational.
Chinese military expert Fu Qianshao told the Global Times that, as the first Chinese carrier equipped with an electromagnetic catapult, the Fujian requires extensive testing to verify the new technology. Therefore, it may take longer to complete its trial voyages compared to the Liaoning and Shandong. However, if all tests proceed smoothly, it will become operational soon.
Some observers suggest that the Fujian’s trial voyage in the West Sea PMZ, expected to be delivered to the Chinese Navy within this year, indicates China’s intention to expand its maritime influence by internalizing the West Sea, just as it has done in the South China Sea and East China Sea.
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
