On December 17, 2025, the Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China reported that the aircraft carrier Fujian (CV-18) passed through the Taiwan Strait on the 16th. The Taiwanese military closely monitored the situation and released images of the Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian during the monitoring.
The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of China announced this morning the activities of the Chinese military in the airspace near the Taiwan Strait. From 6 a.m. on the 16th to 6 a.m. today, a total of 9 sorties of Chinese aircraft were detected, with 5 of them crossing the median line of the Taiwan Strait to intrude into the airspace in the north and southwest, and 7 Chinese ships continuously operating in the vicinity of the Taiwan Strait. The Taiwanese military used aircraft carriers, shore-based missile systems, and closely monitored and responded to these activities.
Furthermore, the Ministry of National Defense pointed out that the Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian passed through the Taiwan Strait on the 16th, and the Taiwanese military closely monitored this movement and released images of the monitoring of the Fujian.
At 11:30 this morning, the Ministry of National Defense issued a press release stating that since 8:30 a.m., a total of 23 sorties of various Chinese fighter jets, bombers, AWACS aircraft, and drones such as J-10, H-6K, and KJ-500 had been detected leaving China. Among them, 14 sorties crossed the median line and its extension, entering the airspace in the north, central, southwest, and east of Taiwan, coordinated with Chinese ships posing as “joint combat readiness patrols” to harass the surrounding airspace and maritime areas. The Taiwanese military utilized joint surveillance measures to closely monitor the situation and dispatched aircraft, ships, and shore-based missile systems for appropriate responses.
Minister of National Defense Gu Li-hsiung appeared before the Foreign Affairs and National Defense Committee of the Legislative Yuan today for questioning. Legislator Luo Mei-ling inquired whether the Ministry of National Defense was aware of any abnormal situations or actions of the military during the passage of the Chinese aircraft carrier Fujian through the Taiwan Strait on the 16th.
In response, Minister Gu stated that the Taiwanese military had full monitoring capabilities. According to the photos released by the Ministry of National Defense, there were no aircraft on the flight deck of the Fujian, indicating that it was likely returning to the shipyard in Changxing Island, Shanghai for further improvements, without any abnormal military movements.
Luo Mei-ling emphasized that in the face of the unstable security situation in the Taiwan Strait, there has long been a high consensus in the international community on the need to strengthen self-defense capabilities to effectively deter aggression and maintain peace. Taiwan, located at the forefront of the first island chain, has a responsibility and obligation to work with democratic partners to establish effective deterrence and achieve peace through deterrence.