Japan’s Armed Forces Spot China’s Biggest Carrier for First Time
The Fujian aircraft carrier in a file photo in Shanghai in May 2024.
Photographer: Ding Ziyu/Xinhua/Getty Images
China’s biggest and most advanced aircraft carrier was spotted in the East China Sea on Thursday by Japan’s Self-Defense Forces, marking the first time the Fujian was sighted by Japan.
The ship was sailing about 200 kilometers (120 miles) northwest of a disputed cluster of islands called the Senkaku in Japan and Diaoyu in China. A Japanese P-3C aircraft spotted three vessels and gathered information, according to a statement released by Japan’s Joint Staff Office.