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The Independent
5 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Why 2 Chinese aircraft carriers are operating in the Pacific together for the first time
Japan this week confirmed that two Chinese aircraft carriers have operated together for the first time in the Pacific, fueling Tokyo's concern about Beijing's rapidly expanding military activity far beyond its borders. Aircraft carriers are critical to projecting power at a distance. China routinely sends coast guard vessels, warships and warplanes to areas around the disputed East China Sea islands, but now it is going as far as what's called the second-island chain that includes Guam — a U.S. territory. A single Chinese carrier has ventured into the Pacific in the past, but never east of that chain until now. Here's what to know about the latest moves by China, which has the world's largest navy numerically. How the carriers operated Japan's Defense Ministry said the two carriers, the Liaoning and the Shandong, were seen separately but almost simultaneously operating near southern islands in the Pacific for the first time. Both operated in waters off Iwo Jima, about 1,200 kilometers (750 miles) south of Tokyo, Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Monday. The Liaoning also sailed inside Japan's exclusive economic zone of Minamitorishima, the country's easternmost island. There was no violation of Japanese territorial waters. Still, Nakatani said Japan has expressed 'concern' to the Chinese embassy. Both carriers had warplanes take off and land. Late Wednesday, Japan's Defense Ministry said a Chinese J-15 fighter jet that took off from the Shandong on Saturday chased a Japanese P-3C aircraft on reconnaissance duty in the area and came within an 'abnormally close distance' of 45 meters (50 yards). The Chinese jet on Sunday crossed 900 meters (980 yards) in front of the Japanese P-3C, the ministry said, adding it has strongly requested China to take measures to prevent such an 'abnormal approach' that could cause accidental collisions. Why Japan is worried China's military buildup and expanding area of activity have raised tensions in the region. The Chinese carriers sailed past the first-island chain, the Pacific archipelago off the Asian mainland that includes Japan, Taiwan and part of the Philippines. The Liaoning reached farther to the second-island chain, a strategic line extending to Guam, showing China also can challenge Japan's ally, the United States. 'China apparently aims to elevate its capability of the two aircraft carriers, and to advance its operational capability of the distant sea and airspace," Nakatani said. The defense minister vowed to further strengthen Japan's air defense on remote islands. Japan has been accelerating its military buildup especially since 2022, including counter-strike capability, with long-range cruise missiles as deterrence to China. China's navy is growing China's navy on Tuesday confirmed the deployments, calling it part of routine training in the western Pacific 'to test their capabilities in far seas protection and joint operations." It said the deployment was in compliance with international laws and not targeted at any country. China is pursuing a vast military modernization program including ambitions of a true 'blue-water' naval force capable of operating at long ranges for extended periods. Beijing has the world's largest navy numerically but lags far behind the United States in its number of aircraft carriers. China has three, the U.S. 11. Washington's numerical advantage allows it to keep a carrier, currently the USS George Washington, permanently forward-deployed to Japan. The Pentagon has expressed concern over Beijing's focus on building new carriers. Its latest report to Congress on Chinese defense developments noted that it "extends air defense coverage of deployed task groups beyond the range of land-based defenses, enabling operations farther from China's shore.' The carriers' abilities The two Chinese carriers currently in the western Pacific employ the older 'ski-jump' launch method for aircraft, with a ramp at the end of a short runway to assist planes taking off. China's first carrier, the Liaoning, was a repurposed Soviet ship. The second, the Shandong, was built in China along the Soviet design. Its third carrier, the Fujian, launched in 2022 and is undergoing final sea trials. It is expected to be operational later this year. It is locally designed and built and employs a more modern, electromagnetic-type launch system like those developed and used by the U.S. All three ships are conventionally powered, while all the U.S. carriers are nuclear powered, giving them the ability to operate at much greater range and more power to run advanced systems. Satellite imagery provided to The Associated Press last year indicated China is working on a nuclear propulsion system for its carriers. China's other naval actions In August, a Chinese reconnaissance aircraft violated Japan's airspace off the southern prefecture of Nagasaki, and a Chinese survey ship violated Japanese territorial waters off another southern prefecture, Kagoshima. In September, the Liaoning and two destroyers sailed between Japan's westernmost island of Yonaguni — just east of Taiwan — and nearby Iriomote, entering an area just outside Japan's territorial waters where the country has some control over maritime traffic. China routinely sends coast guard vessels and aircraft into waters and airspace surrounding the Japanese-controlled, disputed East China Sea islands to harass Japanese vessels in the area, forcing Japan to scramble jets. Tokyo also worries about China's increased joint military activities with Russia, including joint operations of warplanes or warships around northern and southwestern Japan in recent years. ___
The Independent
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Japan finds pair of Chinese aircraft carriers conducting operations in Pacific for first time
The Japanese navy sighted two Chinese aircraft carriers conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific for the first time in a move signalling Beijing 's intention to expand its blue water capabilities. Liaoning and Shandong were seen operating in separate areas of the Pacific Ocean over the weekend, the Japanese defence ministry said on Tuesday. The Shandong strike group was seen carrying out what appeared to be take-off and landing operations of its fighter jets and helicopters about 500km southwest of Iwo Jima and north of Okinotori. The Liaoning group was found 300km southwest of Minamitori Island on Saturday and a little further away on Sunday. It was also operating its air wings. The carriers were seen in blue waters beyond Japan 's second chain islands. Seen as the second line of defence in the event of a military escalation by China in the region, the chain comprises a strategic group of islands in the middle of the West Pacific, including a US military base in Guam, around 2,700km from Taiwan. The Japanese military said they dispatched warships and aircraft to monitor the Chinese operations in the region. 'Japan's prompt disclosure of information concerning the carriers underscores its commitment to deter any forceful, unilateral shifts in the regional status quo," defence minister Gen Nakatani told a press conference. Stopping short of criticising Beijing, the minister said Japan had engaged with China to ensure its operations in the international waters did not pose any threat to his country's security. Mr Nakatani said Japan was pursuing a buildup of air defences in the Pacific region and was closely monitoring the movements of Chinese naval vessels. One of the carriers seen on Saturday, Liaoning, was accompanied by guided missile destroyers Wuxi and Tangshan as well as the fast combat support ship Hulunhu, the South China Morning Post reported. Japan previously claimed that Liaoning had sailed within its exclusive economic zone near Minamitorishima, a remote island east of Iwo Jima. Responding to Japan's statement, the Chinese foreign ministry defended the presence of its aircraft carriers in the area and said Beijing's activities were consistent with international law and practice. 'China has always pursued a defensive national defence policy and hopes that the Japanese side will look at the matter objectively and rationally," Lin Jian, foreign ministry spokesperson, said at a news briefing. China has been increasing its presence in East Asian waters since May by sending an unusually large number of naval and coast guard vessels to the region. At the same time, it has been conducting daily military drills in the Taiwan Strait, in what critics have called staging exercises of a military escalation against the self-governed island.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Two Chinese aircraft carriers seen in Pacific for first time, Japan says
TOKYO, June 10 (Reuters) - Two Chinese aircraft carriers were spotted conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific for the first time, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said on Tuesday. Japan's Defence Ministry has confirmed the Liaoning and Shandong operating in separate locations in the Pacific on Saturday, both near remote southern islands belonging to Japan. Iwaya said the ministry had communicated with Beijing through China's embassy in Japan and that it would take further "appropriate steps" as needed. He stopped short of condemning China for the operations. Japan had said a day earlier that Liaoning sailed in the sea within Japan's exclusive economic zone near Minamitorishima, a remote island east of Iwo Jima.
