Fujian and Liaoning Carriers Active in Major Naval Ops

China’s two aircraft carriers made simultaneous headlines on June 23-24, 2026, as the newly commissioned Fujian (Type 003) transited south through the Taiwan Strait into the South China Sea while the Liaoning carrier strike group returned to its home port in Qingdao after a record 40-plus-day deployment. These concurrent operations signal the PLA Navy’s rapidly maturing carrier capabilities and evolving strategic posture in the Indo-Pacific region.

Dual Carrier Activity

Taiwan’s Ministry of National Defense reported on June 23 that the PLA Navy aircraft carrier Fujian (Type 003, hull number 18) transited from north to south through the Taiwan Strait into the South China Sea. Taiwan’s military stated it “used comprehensive intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance means to conduct full monitoring” and released a photo of the Fujian, reportedly taken by a Taiwan Air Force F-16’s “Sniper” targeting pod, according to Sina News.

Just one day earlier, on June 22, the PLA Navy’s official social media account announced that the Liaoning carrier strike group had safely returned to its home port in Qingdao after a 40-plus-day far-seas combat training mission — the longest deployment in the carrier’s history, as reported by China National Radio via Sina News.

Fujian’s Strategic Transit

The Fujian — China’s first electromagnetic catapult (EMALS) aircraft carrier and its third carrier overall — was launched in June 2022 and commissioned on November 5, 2025. This southward transit is its second passage through the Taiwan Strait since commissioning, following a northward transit on December 16, 2025.

Notably, after that first transit, Taiwan’s then-Defense Minister Gu Lixiong speculated based on the absence of aircraft on deck that the carrier “should be returning to Shanghai for further defect corrections” and stated there was “no military action observed.” However, satellite data later showed the Fujian never returned to Shanghai and continued drills in the Bohai Sea, underscoring the PLA Navy’s operational progress.

CCTV Military previously assessed that 2026 would be a transition year for the Fujian, moving from basic operational capability toward full combat readiness.

Liaoning’s Record Deployment

The Liaoning carrier strike group departed on May 19, 2026, for what became its longest far-seas training deployment. Operating continuously across the South China Sea and Western Pacific, the mission featured several notable achievements:

Joint training with amphibious assault ship formations in the Western Pacific, integrating carrier and amphibious warfare capabilities
Y-20U (Yunyou-20) aerial refueling support for carrier-based J-15 fighters, significantly extending their combat radius
Shore-sea integrated system-of-systems confrontation exercises
Multi-batch, day-night carrier-aircraft offensive and defensive operations
Professional handling of Japanese close-in surveillance and what Chinese sources described as “dangerous and provocative” monitoring by Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force vessels

Military expert Zhang Junshe told China National Radio that “40-plus days should be the longest far-seas training in the history of the Liaoning carrier, and its far-seas offensive and defensive system-of-systems combat capability has been further enhanced.”

On the Y-20U refueling capability, Zhang noted: “The Y-20U has a refueling radius of approximately 1,000 km, which allows it to refuel carrier-based fighters, expanding the J-15’s combat radius.”

Fellow expert Li Yaqiang highlighted the practical significance of joint exercises with amphibious assault ships, stating: “In the South China Sea direction, amphibious assault operational requirements are more direct, and the mission may be more urgent.”

Broader Regional Activity

During the same 24-hour period (June 23-24), Taiwan’s military reported 11 PLA aircraft, 6 naval vessels, and 7 official ships operating around the Taiwan Strait, with 3 aircraft crossing the median line into the northern and southwestern air defense identification zone.

Analysis and Implications

The simultaneous activity of China’s two carriers — one transiting south, one returning from a record deployment — demonstrates the PLA Navy’s ability to manage multiple carrier assets concurrently, a significant step toward sustained power projection.

With the Fujian now operational, China has three carriers capable of deployment (Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian), enabling continuous at-sea presence and the potential for dual-carrier task forces. The combination of EMALS technology aboard the Fujian, extended-range J-15 fighters with aerial refueling support, and amphibious assault capabilities positions China to project power further into the Western Pacific and South China Sea.

Expert Teng Jianqun summarized the Liaoning’s achievement: “The carrier strike group can go out, go far, and return safely to its home port — this demonstrates that the carrier group and carrier technology are fully capable of completing the tasks assigned by the nation.”

Regular carrier transits through the Taiwan Strait normalize the PLA Navy’s presence in this sensitive waterway, potentially altering the military balance around Taiwan. These developments will likely accelerate naval modernization programs in Japan, Australia, and other regional states, and may prompt increased US Navy presence in the region.

What to Watch For

Key questions remain: When will the Fujian conduct its first full-scale deployment with a carrier air wing embarked? Will Fujian and Liaoning conduct joint dual-carrier operations in the near future? And what is the timeline for China’s next carrier (Type 004) — will it be nuclear-powered? The answers will shape the strategic landscape of the Indo-Pacific for years to come.