Photos Show US and China's Aircraft Carriers Deployed to Pacific Waters
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
Both the United States and China deployed their aircraft carriers in the Western Pacific Ocean on Sunday, as Washington and Beijing jostle for naval dominance in the region.
Newsweek has reached out to the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email.
Why It Matters
The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington returned to its home port in Japan—Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo—last November, after undergoing maintenance in Virginia since 2017, serving as one of the forward-deployed American warships to the allied country.
Meanwhile, China is challenging the First Island Chain—formed by Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines under the U.S. containment strategy meant to keep China's forces in check—with a fleet of more than 370 naval vessels, including two aircraft carriers in active service.
The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington arrives at Yokosuka naval base in Japan on November 22, 2024.
The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS George Washington arrives at Yokosuka naval base in Japan on November 22, 2024.
Kyodo News via AP
What To Know
Photos shared on X, formerly Twitter, by a ship spotter in Japan on Sunday show the George Washington leaving its home port for sea trials. Its departure was also confirmed by a local government website that tracks visits by U.S. nuclear-powered naval vessels to Yokosuka.
Lieutenant Commander Mark Langford, a public affairs officer aboard the George Washington, told Newsweek that the aircraft carrier was underway conducting "routine operations" in the U.S. Seventh Fleet area of operations, which covers the Western Pacific and Indian Oceans.
This marked the first time the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier had left Yokosuka since its return seven months ago. The departure comes as aircraft assigned to the warship conduct field carrier landing practice on Iwo To, a Japanese island located 750 miles south of Tokyo.
While the American aircraft carrier was underway in waters near Japan, the Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning was spotted operating 124 miles north of Kuba Island—part of Japan's southwestern Senkaku Islands—the Joint Staff of the Japanese Defense Ministry announced.
The uninhabited Senkaku Islands, also known as the Diaoyu Islands in China, are claimed by Beijing, which has intensified its assertive coast guard patrols since Tokyo nationalized the islands in 2012. The U.S. ally has accused China of attempting to alter the status quo.
The Liaoning was joined by four other Chinese warships in the East China Sea, according to the report, including Type 052D destroyers CNS Qiqihar and CNS Tangshan, as well as Type 054A frigates CNS Binzhou and CNS Anyang, which were identified by hull numbers.
"Takeoff and landing of carrier-based fighter jets and helicopters was confirmed," said the Japan Joint Staff, adding that a ship and an aircraft assigned to the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, as well as fighter jets of the Japanese air force, were deployed in response.
What People Are Saying
The U.S. Navy previously said: "George Washington is [Seventh] Fleet's premiere forward-deployed aircraft carrier, a long-standing symbol of the United States' commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, and operates alongside allies and partners across the U.S. Navy's largest numbered fleet."
Japan's defense white paper commented: "China has been rapidly building up military capabilities while intensifying its activities in the East China Sea, where the waters surrounding the Senkaku Islands are, as well as in the Pacific."
The Chinese Defense Ministry previously responded: "Japan has been closely tracking, monitoring, and interfering with Chinese vessels and aircraft for a long time, jeopardizing the safety of Chinese vessels and aircraft and easily causing maritime and air security problems."
What Happens Next
The Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning departs Hong Kong on July 11, 2017.
The Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning departs Hong Kong on July 11, 2017.
Kin Cheung/AP Photo
It remains to be seen whether the Chinese aircraft carrier will pass through the Miyako Strait from the East China Sea and head toward the Philippine Sea, thereby breaching the island chain.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Boston Globe
6 minutes ago
- Boston Globe
Shigeo Nagashima, ‘Mr. Baseball' of postwar Japan, dies at 89
More than any player of his generation, Mr. Nagashima symbolized a country that was feverishly rebuilding after World War II and gaining clout as an economic power. Visiting dignitaries sought his company. His good looks and charisma helped make him an attraction; he was considered Japan's most eligible bachelor until his wedding in 1965, which was broadcast nationally. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up The fact that he played for the Giants, who were owned by the Yomiuri media empire, amplified his exploits. He wore his success and celebrity so comfortably that he became known as 'Mr. Giants,' 'Mr. Baseball' or, sometimes, simply 'Mister.' Advertisement 'No matter what he did or where he went there was a photo of him -- attending a reception for the emperor, or coaching a Little League seminar, or appearing at the premiere of the latest Tom Cruise movie,' Robert Whiting, a longtime chronicler of Japanese baseball, wrote about Mr. Nagashima in The Japan Times in 2013. 'People joked that he was the real head of state.' Advertisement None of that celebrity would have been possible had he not excelled as a ballplayer. Along with his teammate Sadaharu Oh, Japan's home run king, Mr. Nagashima was the centerpiece of the country's most enduring sports dynasty. He hit 444 home runs, had a lifetime batting average of .305, won six batting titles, and five times led the league in RBIs. He was a five-time MVP and was chosen as the league's top third baseman in each of his 17 seasons. He was inducted into Japan's Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988. In his first season, 1958, he led the league in home runs and was second in stolen bases and batting average, earning him rookie of the year honors. One of Mr. Nagashima's trademarks was his work ethic, a trait that was particularly celebrated during Japan's postwar rise. Under the guidance of manager Tetsuharu Kawakami, Mr. Nagashima practiced from dawn to dusk, enduring an infamous 1,000-fungo drill that required him to field ground ball after ground ball. In the offseason, he trained in the mountains, running and swinging the bat to the point of exhaustion. He bought a house by the Tama River in Tokyo so he could run there, and he added a room to his home where he could practice swinging. By the early 1960s, word of his talents had reached the United States. Bill Veeck of the Chicago White Sox tried unsuccessfully to buy his contract, as did Walter O'Malley of the Los Angeles Dodgers, now home to Japanese superstar Shohei Ohtani. (Ohtani offered his condolences on Instagram, posting photos of himself with the aging icon.) Advertisement After ending his playing career in 1974 (his number, 3, was retired), Mr. Nagashima became the team's manager. He was far less successful in that role, at least initially. He pushed his players -- some of whom were his former teammates -- to work as hard as he did. 'Bashing the players this year cultivates spirit,' he told The Japan Times. In his first season, the Giants finished in last place for the first time. The next two years, they won the Central League pennant but lost the Japan Series. The Giants failed to win their division for the next three years, and Mr. Nagashima was let go in 1980. Shigeo Nagashima was born Feb. 20, 1936, in Sakura, in Chiba prefecture. His father, Toshi, was a municipal worker and his mother, Chiyo, was a homemaker. He grew up rooting for the Hanshin Tigers, the Giants' archrival. He took up baseball in elementary school, but because of wartime shortages, he made a ball from marbles and cloth and used a bamboo stick as a bat. After graduating from high school, he entered Rikkyo University, where he started at third base. Rikkyo, typically an also-ran, won three college tournaments. After graduating from Rikkyo, Mr. Nagashima signed a then-record 18 million yen (about $50,000 in 1958) contract with the Giants. As his star rose on the field, speculation about his marital status grew. In 1964, he met Akiko Nishimura, a hostess at the Tokyo Olympic Games who had studied in the United States and spoke fluent English. Their wedding was the most-watched television broadcast in Japan the following year. She died in 2007. Advertisement Their oldest child, Kazushige, played sparingly for the Giants when his father managed the club and now works in television. Their second son, Masaoki, is a former race car driver, and his daughter Mina is a newscaster. Baseball icon Joe DiMaggio joined Mr. Nagashima (left), Minoru Murayama, former manager of the Hanshin Tigers, and a group of young baseball hopefuls in Tokyo in 1983. The event was part of an international sports festival. Tsugufumi Matsumoto/ASSOCIATED PRESS After Mr. Nagashima's first stint as a manager, he worked as a television commentator. His affable style came with occasionally incomprehensible chatter. But his charisma made him an irresistible target when the Giants were looking for a new manager in 1993. Then 56, Mr. Nagashima debated whether to return to the dugout. 'My wife and I were looking forward to a quiet life playing golf, and it was hard to decide to throw myself back into the fight,' he told reporters. 'But I was raised as a Giant, and if I have the strength, I will do whatever it takes for the Giants.' Mellowed by age, he was easier on his players this time around. He also had the good fortune to manage Hideki Matsui, the team's cleanup hitter and one of the most fearsome sluggers of the 1990s. (Mr. Nagashima would later criticize Japanese players, including Matsui, who joined the New York Yankees in 2003.) The Giants won two Japan Series titles, in 1994 and 2000, during Mr. Nagashima's nine-year tenure. In his 15 years as a manager, his teams won 1,034 games, lost 889 and tied 59 times. The Giants made him a lifetime honorary manager. As he was preparing to manage the Japanese team at the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, Mr. Nagashima, then 68, suffered a stroke that partly paralyzed the right side of his body. Though he was seen less in public in the years that followed, he was no less adored. In 2013, he and Matsui were given the People's Honor award by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Eight years later, they were torch bearers at the opening ceremony at the Tokyo Games. Matsui walked slowly, holding Mr. Nagashima, as his old teammate, Oh, held the Olympic torch. Advertisement This article originally appeared in
Black America Web
6 minutes ago
- Black America Web
Cory Booker Responds To Ridiculous MAGA Republicans Accusations of Doing A 'Nazi Salute'
Source: Getty Images / Cory Booker / Elon Musk Cory Booker is shutting down claims he was out here throwing up a Nazi salute. MAGA Republicans and Elon Musk are losing their sh*t and doing their best to compare a moment where Cory Booker put his hand on his heart and waved goodbye to the crowd at the Democratic National Convention in California to when Musk clearly did a Nazi salute. Through a spokesperson, Booker shut down those ridiculous claims. 'Cory Booker was obviously just waving to the crowd. Anyone who claims his wave is the same as Elon Musk's gesture is operating in bad faith,' Maya Krishna-Rogers, spokesperson for Booker, said to Newsweek in a statement sent via email on Sunday. 'The differences between the two are obvious to anyone without an agenda.' Musk also doubled down on his acceptance of th use of the word 'retard' as an insult. 🤨 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 1, 2025 MAGA Republicans going hard trying to make something out of nothing about Cory Booker waving goodbye to the crowd, comes after Musk and Steve Bannon both were both accused doing nazi salutes during events. Musk was accused of doing a Nazi salute during Trump rally during his second inauguration following his unfortunate election win. Elon Musk has gone full mask off Nazi. He is actively promoting Nazism. Tesla is now a hate symbol. — James Jansson (@jamesjansson) January 20, 2025 Still despite Booker's statement and the video evidence, you can't tell these MAGA fools a damn thing as continue to take photos of other elected officials clearly waving bye, and using them as evidence of them doing Nazi salutes in order to vindicate the alleged ketamine abuser Elon Musk. 🤨 — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 1, 2025 SMH. You can see more stupid reactions in the gallery below. Cory Booker Responds To Ridiculous MAGA Republicans Accusations of Doing A 'Nazi Salute' was originally published on Here's a list of all the news networks who have not covered Cory Booker's salute:- NYTimes- CNN- Washington Post- MSNBC- NPR- USA Today- Reuters- Axios- ABC NewsEvery single one of them wrote stories on Elon Musk's salute. do you get it yet? — kekius tees (@kekmaximusk) June 1, 2025 I'm literally shaking right now. Cory Booker is literally Hitler. I can't wait for fake news to cover this as extensively as they did Elon when gave his heart out to everyone! — Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) May 31, 2025 Hello, @NewsHour — will you be making a post comparing Cory Booker's apparent 'fascist salute' to the 'Sieg Heil?"Your post about Elon Musk making a very similar gesture amassed over 36M views. Since you assure US taxpayers that PBS is a non-partisan organization, and all. — Western Lensman (@WesternLensman) June 1, 2025 It's most amusing to watch all the people who branded @elonmusk a Nazi now tying themselves in tortured knots trying to explain why Cory Booker isn't… for doing the EXACT SAME THING. Of course, neither is.. but the hypocrisy stinks. — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) June 1, 2025 Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE
Yahoo
10 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Opinion - Trump's ‘return to office' crusade smothers its pronatalist promise
The White House trumpets a 'baby bonus' — $5,000 wired days after delivery — to reverse America's record-low 1.6 fertility rate, documented by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Vital Statistics Reports. In the same breath, it orders every federal employee back to the office five days a week. But Stanford's new 'Working from Home in 2025' survey of 16,422 professionals upends that logic: women with children desire 2.66 remote days each week, higher than any other demographic. The administration vows to grow families while vaporizing the flexibility that makes new children feasible, creating a collision that risks empty cribs and hollow offices alike. Time rules parenthood. The average American commute consumes 55 minutes round-trip, meaning a traditional five-day schedule eats up almost another five hours of free time each week. Those hours fuel bedtime routines, homework patrol and marriage maintenance; without them, parental stress spikes. Stanford's survey shows parents steer toward hybrid work precisely because several home days help restore that bandwidth. Parents still collaborate on site yet dodge traffic's cortisol surge. The federal badge doctrine yanks that option, forcing caregivers back into rush-hour gridlock and shredding the very capacity the 'baby bonus' seeks to reward. The White House defends the order as a downtown-revitalization plan, yet empty playgrounds undermine long-term urban vitality far more than shuttered salad bars. The response has been swift — over 260,000 civil-service resignations, buyouts or early retirements since the mandate, a wave led by mid-career women. These departures bleed institutional knowledge, spike contractor costs and prove that rigid schedules push out precisely the workers the baby-bonus scheme aims to empower. Direct payments headline well, yet history shows money alone seldom moves fertility. France, Hungary and South Korea all dangled cash but saw sustained birth-rate gains only after they paired subsidies with affordable childcare and generous leave. We've seen the same skepticism here, with women calling the $5,000 proposal 'meager' without schedule support. In fact, policymakers still debate whether a bonus would move the needle at all. Child-care tuition already tops mortgage payments in many metro areas, and the gas, parking and wardrobe costs tied to full-time commutes burn up the bonus long before a first birthday. Rigid attendance therefore turns the 'baby bonus' into a consolation prize for exhaustion. The persistent declines in births stem from soaring childcare costs, student debt and delayed milestones such as homeownership — all problems amplified by longer daily commutes. When the administration mandates five badge scans a week, it inflates every hidden parenting expense the subsidy intends to ease. The result is policy whiplash: a check in one envelope, a time audit in the next. The Stanford survey reinforces that economic calculus: women with children value schedule control more than any other employment perk, ranking it higher than pay or promotion prospects. Force them back, and many abandon growth plans — at work and at home. The administration's own ranks testify. Treasury's internal return-to-office guidance, issued in February, acknowledges 'heightened retention risk' among caregivers, yet it still enforces five days on-site. Pronatalism that ignores workplace physics turns into press-release theater. One pivot resolves the clash: Replace the blanket five-day decree with a disciplined three-day anchor model for roles that do not handle classified hardware or wet-lab equipment. Stanford's Steven Davis and Nicholas Bloom show firms keep productivity steady — or lift it — under such hybrid rules, while recruitment costs fall because talent pools widen geographically. Eighty percent of Fortune 500 companies now run some version of this model, proof that flexibility and performance coexist. Hybrid schedules also cut vehicle miles, handing the administration an unwritten climate victory without another regulation, as remote-work research from Hoover Institution scholars confirms. Congress can hard-wire the alignment. Tie the enlarged Child Tax Credit now under debate to employer certification of at least two voluntary home days per week, nudging private firms toward family-friendly norms. House negotiators already weigh credit expansion as part of a broader pronatalist push. Add lease subsidies for offices that include on-site childcare and stroller storage, and the commute becomes a support node, not a hurdle. Stanford's evidence stands clear: caregivers who will deliver tomorrow's taxpayers want 2.66 remote days each week, yet the badge order throttles that desire and drains the very talent the government hopes to retain. Align workplace structure with family aspirations, and the baby bonus transforms from political gimmick to demographic catalyst. Ignore the contradiction, and America exchanges rattles for resignation letters — a trade no nation can afford. Flexibility, not fiat, is the linchpin that lets families, careers and the country thrive together. Gleb Tsipursky, Ph.D., serves as the CEO of the hybrid work consultancy Disaster Avoidance Experts and authored the best-seller Returning to the Office and Leading Hybrid and Remote Teams. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
