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South China Sea: PLA aircraft carrier Shandong shows its presence and combat readiness
- Japan reports China’s second carrier, accompanied by three vessels, hosted take-offs and landings by jets and helicopters in Philippine Sea
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The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong’s presence in the Philippine Sea and the South China Sea this week is a show of presence and increased combat readiness as a US aircraft carrier group sailed in the area en route to the Middle East, experts say.
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The Shandong was spotted on Monday sailing with three other vessels – China’s Type 055 guided-missile destroyer Yanan, Type 051 destroyer Zhanjiang and Type 054A guided-missile frigate Yuncheng – Japan’s Joint Staff Office said in a press release on Wednesday.
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The four ships were seen around 530km (329 miles) south of Yonaguni Island in Japan’s Okinawa prefecture in the Philippine Sea.
“Additionally, approximately 20 take-offs and landings by carrier-based fighter jets and carrier-based helicopters from the Chinese navy’s Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier Shandong were confirmed,” Japan’s Joint Staff Office said.
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The statement said the four People’s Liberation Army naval vessels sailed back towards the South China Sea after their activities in the Philippine Sea on Monday where the Japanese destroyer Akizuki conducted surveillance and gathered intelligence regarding the Chinese carrier strike group.
The Shandong, the mainland’s first domestically built and the PLA’s second aircraft carrier, had previously deployed in the Philippine Sea from July 9 to 18 when it carried out an exercise off the southeastern coast of Taiwan near the Bashi Channel.
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