China sparks fresh Taiwan invasion fears as new £4.4bn aircraft carrier spotted

China's Fujian carrier (CV-18) was spotted operating 140-nm north of Taiwan (Image: Damien Symon )

Invasion fears are mounting after China's third aircraft carrier was spotted operating in the East China Sea near to Taiwan. The Fujian (CV-18) was seen around 140-nautical miles north of Taipei, Taiwan’s capital city, raising further questions about when it will officially enter China’s military service.

The domestically built 80,000-tonne aircraft carrier, valued at an estimated $6billion (£4.4billion), is the most modern of the three aircraft carriers currently in service with the Chinese Navy. It was launched in 2022 and since then has completed eight sea trials since its maiden voyage in May 2024. The most recent trial in May 2025 included flight operations involving the Shenyang J-35 stealth fighter adapted for catapult-assisted takeoff, which reportedly suggests the carrier is in the final stages of evaluation ahead of commissioning. Local media has reported that the Fujian could be commissioned by the end of this year.

Images show China’s third aircraft carrier has left the shipyard (Image: Getty)

However, the images released this week suggest the excursion might have been different from previous sea trials, leading to speculation the carrier could enter service sooner.

Reports suggest the Fujian may be sailing to Sanya, a key military port and the home port of another aircraft carrier - the Shandong. The journey for the carrier to reach the Chinese city would take roughly 30-50 hours, depending on its path.

The Shandong carrier followed a similar schedule in 2019 before it was commissioned into the Chinese Navy. It departed on November 14, travelling down the Taiwan Strait by November 16, before reaching Sanya on November 19.

It then officially entered service on December 17 that year.

In the past year, Beijing has stepped up military pressure near Taiwan, sending warships and planes almost daily into the waters and air space around the island.

China’s warplanes now enter Taiwan’s air defence identification zone more than 245 times a month, it is understood, compared with fewer than 10 a month five years ago.

China and Taiwan have a fraught relationship, with the island determined to go its own way despite Chinese claims to the territory.

Over the past few years, countless reports have hinted that the People's Liberation Army is preparing an attempted invasion despite being warned off by the US and its allies.