China’s newest aircraft carrier has sailed through the Taiwan Strait, the navy said on Friday.

The sailing could serve as a warning to the US and others against support for Taiwan, though China played down any such motive.

Taiwan and China split in a civil war that brought the communists to power in 1949.

The defeated Nationalist government fled to Taiwan and set up its own government on the island.

The United States does not officially acknowledge Taiwan’s government but supports its defense with military aid. It also emphasizes that any disputes between China and Taiwan should be settled peacefully and without military intervention.

Last week, China’s military was on high alert when the Canadian frigate Quebec and the Australian destroyer Brisbane navigated through the Taiwan Strait.

It accused the two warships of provocative actions that it said heightened security risks.

Japan’s military said it had spotted China’s latest carrier for the first time on Thursday afternoon.

The Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian, along with two guided-missile destroyers, was seen sailing about 200 kilometers southwest of the contested Senkaku islands, known as the Diaoyu islands in China. Both nations assert ownership over these remote and uninhabited islands.

Its latest sea trial, the ninth since May 2024, sparked renewed speculation that the ship will be officially put into service soon.

The state-owned Global Times newspaper quoted an expert saying the commissioning is expected by the end of this year.

Furthermore, it mentioned that China’s previous aircraft carrier, the Shandong, entered service in late 2019, a month after making its debut voyage through the Taiwan Strait on its way to the South China Sea.

The Fujian is China’s third aircraft carrier, joining the Shandong and the Liaoning.