An aerial drone photo taken on May 7, 2024 shows China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, during its maiden sea trials. China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, completed maiden sea trials on Wednesday.(Photo: Xinhua)

The Fujian, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's third aircraft carrier, has returned to its shipyard after completing its third sea trial, media reported, with experts on Monday highlighting the increasing length of test voyages and the short intervals between them, which indicate positive results.

After 25 days at sea, the Fujian returned to the Jiangnan Shipyard in Shanghai on Sunday, US media Atlas News reported on Sunday.

According to a traffic restriction notice released by Shanghai's maritime safety administration on Saturday, a large ship was scheduled to enter the Yangtze River on Sunday.

While the notice did not specify the large ship as being the Fujian, this phrasing was used each time the carrier set out for and returned from previous sea trials. A previous traffic restriction notice released by Shanghai's maritime safety administration indicates that the Fujian set out for the third sea trial on July 3.

Commercial satellite images and photos circulating on social media also appear to confirm the return of the carrier.
 
At a regular press conference on Thursday, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, a spokesperson at China's Ministry of Defense, confirmed that the Fujian conducted its third sea trial this month.

Zhang said that the Fujian's test voyage is a normal part of its construction process, and more tests will follow based on the construction progress. 

The Fujian conducted its eight-day first sea trial from May 1 to May 8, followed by a 20-day second sea trial from May 23 to June 11, according to previous reports.

Fu Qianshao, a Chinese military expert, told the Global Times on Monday that the aircraft carrier Fujian has conducted three sea trials with short intervals between them, and each trial was longer than the previous one, indicating that the entire sea trial phase is going very smoothly.

With each sea trial, new and more tests were conducted. When basic systems such as the propulsion system and the electric system are validated, more complicated shipborne equipment as well as aircraft are expected to conduct tests, Fu said.

Fu said he looks forward to the tests on the carrier's electromagnetic catapults and arresting gears, as well as takeoff and landing tests of aircraft in future sea trials.