A new aircraft carrier launched by China was seen as a statement of the nation’s intent to control Taiwan, over which it claims sovereignty.
China's debut of this third aircraft carrier is part of Xi Jinping's stated goal of bolstering China's military, Reuters reported. The vessel is named Fujian after the province opposite Taiwan, a move believed to be aligned with China's increasing pressure on the independent island nation.
“#PLA Gen. Wei promised war if #Taiwan is separated from #China. Such rhetoric is dangerous & provocative, as we've never been ruled by the #PRC,” the Taiwanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a June 11 post on Twitter. “Taiwan is strong, & we'll defend our hard-won democracy. History shows appeasement only invites aggression.”
The Fujian joins the Shandong, commissioned in 2019, and the Liaoning, which China purchased from Ukraine in 1998 and subsequently outfitted, according to the Reuters article. The U.S. is the only other nation with more aircraft carriers, with 11 carriers as part of the fleet.
“In the future, they [China] want to directly penetrate to the east of the first island chain, which includes Japan's Ryukyu Islands and the Pacific waters off Taiwan's east," an anonymous Taiwanese official told Reuters. “Any regional cooperation is seen by Beijing as an intervention in the Taiwan issue or a challenge to China. The launch of the new carrier is a defiant statement.”
Taiwan’s defense ministry said it attached great importance to China’s military developments. The island nation put into service a new class of stealth warships Taiwan refers to as an “aircraft carrier killer” with its missile complement, according to Reuters.
