The false claim surfaced after China conducted maiden sea trials of the Fujian<\/a>, its third and largest aircraft carrier, on May 1, 2024. The tests were a key next step in a vast naval build-up by Beijing as it carves out a more assertive role for itself in the Pacific and beyond. <\/p>\n But decades of animosity<\/a> between China and Japan — driven by its previous occupation of China and current territorial disputes — often spurs the spread of misinformation<\/a> on Chinese social media.<\/p>\n Similar false claims misidentifying the flag seen on the vessel were shared elsewhere on Weibo and on X here<\/a> and here<\/a>.<\/p>\n In fact, the flag seen on the ship is used for signalling and communication at sea.<\/span><\/p>\n A Google keyword search found a video report<\/a> by Chinese state broadcaster CCTV on May 1, 2024, with the headline “Navy’s Fujian leaves for the first set of sea trials”<\/span>\u00a0(archived link<\/a>). <\/span><\/p>\n The image used in the false posts corresponds to the CCTV report’s 25-second mark, where a triangular flag with a red disk in the centre can be seen flying next to China’s national flag.<\/p>\n Below is a screenshot comparison of the image in the false posts (left) and the CCTV footage (right):<\/p>\nSignalling flag<\/h3>\n