China Dispatches Aircraft Carrier Strike Group to Western Pacific Following Large-Scale Coastal Military Drills

China's People's Liberation Army Navy aircraft carrier Liaoning has embarked on military drills in the Western Pacific for the first time in about four months.

The carrier strike group's deployment to the Western Pacific comes as China conducts military exercises featuring live-fire drills across its coastal waters, following Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te's National Day speech emphasizing the reinforcement of self-defense capabilities.

While Beijing stated that the carrier strike group drills are not directed at any specific country, analysts suggest the string of Chinese military activities could also be interpreted as a show of force directed at Taiwan, as well as the United States and Japan.

According to the state-run Xinhua News Agency on the 14th, the Chinese Navy announced that it sent the Liaoning carrier strike group to relevant waters in the Western Pacific to conduct military exercises on this day.

The Chinese Navy explained through its official social media that "this training is a routine exercise conducted in accordance with annual plans, aimed at testing the unit's combat training level and enhancing its mission-execution capabilities."

It further emphasized that "it complies with relevant international laws and international practices and is not aimed at any specific country or target."

However, specific details such as the exact training waters, duration, and the scale of participating vessels were not disclosed.

This marks the Liaoning carrier strike group's return to Western Pacific drills approximately four months after it concluded a 40-day training session in the South China Sea and Western Pacific, returning to its home port in Qingdao, Shandong Province, on June 22.

At that time, the Chinese Navy stated that it had conducted various drills, including long-range maritime tactical flights, live-fire shooting, support and cover, and comprehensive rescue operations.

Notably, the Liaoning strike group's advance into waters surrounding Japan sparked a war of nerves between China and Japan.

The Chinese Navy claimed that during the training period, Japanese vessels and military aircraft repeatedly tracked, monitored, and provoked them at close range.

Conversely, Japan's Ministry of Defense tracked the movements of the Liaoning carrier strike group and made its operational status public.

According to Japanese announcements, the Liaoning strike group operated in the Pacific waters east of Luzon Island in the Philippines, with carrier-based fighters and helicopters taking off and landing about 170 times from May 26 to 28.

The Liaoning's latest Western Pacific drills are also drawing attention as they coincide with a period when China is carrying out military activities across its coastal regions following the Taiwanese president's National Day speech.

China's maritime authorities announced that they would conduct military activities, including military exercises and live-fire shooting, across five zones spanning four maritime areas—the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea, and the South China Sea—from the 12th to the 17th.

The military activities are taking place in waters near Dalian in Liaoning Province, Qinhuangdao in Hebei Province, Yancheng in Jiangsu Province, Wenzhou in Zhejiang Province, and Zhanjiang in Guangdong Province.

Live-fire drills were conducted on the 12th in waters near Dalian in the northern Yellow Sea, while live-fire exercises continue through the 16th in waters near Zhanjiang in the South China Sea.

Live-fire drills are also scheduled for the 16th to 17th in waters near Yancheng, Jiangsu Province, in the southern Yellow Sea.

Taiwan stated that it is closely monitoring the military activities taking place along China's coast, criticizing the Chinese military for creating military threats and instability in the Indo-Pacific region.

Previously, President Lai criticized in his National Day (Double Tenth Day) speech on the 10th that China is attempting to alter the cross-strait status quo through military pressure, emphasizing the need to increase defense spending and strengthen defense capabilities.

In response, China's Ministry of Defense reaffirmed its hardline stance, stating that the military drills around Taiwan are intended to deter provocations by Taiwan independence forces and interference attempts by external forces.

However, Chinese authorities did not clarify whether the Liaoning carrier strike group's Western Pacific drills or the coastal military exercises are related to President Lai's National Day speech.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.