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While multiple foreign media outlets are reporting on China's aircraft carriers, they are also paying attention to the US aircraft carrier "USS Washington," which is docked at a Japanese base. The image shows the ship departing from port on the 10th day of the month. (Source: Stars and Stripes)
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In early June, China's naval aircraft carrier formation conducted training in the West Pacific Ocean. This picture shows carrier-based fighter jets conducting flight training.
Special correspondent of our newspaper, Yang Chen
The recent deployment of China's Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carrier battle groups to the Western Pacific and other sea areas for training has drawn high attention from foreign media. This long-distance training was described as the "first simultaneous appearance of China's dual aircraft carriers in the Pacific." Foreign media have hyped that this move by them will "challenge America's maritime hegemony in the region" and urged the U.S. Navy to respond more quickly. A Chinese expert interviewed by Global Times said that with the current tight situation of U.S. Navy available vessels, it is becoming increasingly difficult for them to maintain "deterrence" against China in the Western Pacific direction.
Japan is both closely watching and hyping up the situation.
The Defense Ministry's Joint Staff Office of Japan recently released consecutive messages claiming that they had discovered China's aircraft carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, operating in the Western Pacific. According to Japan's report, Liaoning was found navigating near the Pacific off South Bird Island on June 7th, and it was confirmed that there were takeoffs and landings of carrier-based fighters and helicopters. Subsequently, the carrier battle group appeared near the sulfur island on the 9th. The Nikkei Asian Review reported that this was the first time that the Japanese defense ministry had publicly disclosed Liaoning's activities across the second island chain. The report mentioned that the escort fleet accompanying Liaoning was large-scale, including the 10,000-ton destroyer Nanchang, Wuxi, the 052D destroyer Qiqihar, Tangshan, the 054A frigate Yantai, and two comprehensive replenishment ships.
The Joint Staff Office of the Japanese Defense Ministry also announced on the 10th that the Self-Defense Forces had found China's Shandong aircraft carrier battle group navigating about 550 kilometers southeast of Miyako Island on the 7th. On the 9th, the carrier battle group conducted takeoffs and landings of carrier-based aircraft near the Okinotorishima reefs connecting the Izu Islands and Guam in the second island chain. The Self-Defense Forces claimed that the battle group included the Shandong aircraft carrier, the 10,000-ton destroyer Zunyi, the 052D destroyer Zhanjiang, the 054A frigate Yuncheng, Hengshui, and one comprehensive replenishment ship.
Japanese media exaggerated these reports, claiming that China's navy aircraft carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, were spotted operating simultaneously in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, and that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces would continue to "monitor" Chinese warships. The U.S. Naval Institute website reported on the 10th that Japan's Defense Minister Nakagawa Gen stated that Japan had communicated with China through diplomatic channels, "China is planning to enhance its combat capabilities of aircraft carriers in distant maritime and airspace regions. In this context, Japan is promoting the installation of mobile surveillance radars and other equipment along the Pacific coast islands to strengthen its defensive capabilities." "We will continue to timely and appropriately disclose monitoring information to demonstrate Japan's ability to prevent attempts to change the status quo unilaterally by force or other such actions."
Naval Major Wang Xue-meng, spokesperson for the Chinese Navy, stated on the 10th that the Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carrier battle groups conducted training in the Western Pacific and other sea areas to test the long-distance defense and joint combat capabilities of their forces. This was routine training organized according to the annual plan, aimed at continuously improving mission execution capabilities. It complies with relevant international law and practice, and does not target any specific country or object. Spokesperson Lin Jian of China's Foreign Ministry also stated on the 10th that China's warships' activities in the relevant sea areas fully comply with international law and practices. China has consistently adhered to a defensive national defense policy, hoping that Japan will view the situation objectively and rationally.
US Media: China's Navy Has Full Right to Act in This Area
Despite the explanations provided by the Chinese Navy and Foreign Ministry regarding the long-distance voyage training of the Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers, foreign media still viewed the situation with bias, speculating and interpreting from the perspective of prevention and conflict. The New York Times reported on the 10th that through this long-distance cruise, the Chinese aircraft carrier battle group would prove that it can "not only deal with Japan but also compete with the United States for control over the Western Pacific in times of crisis." "Because if the United States deploys fleets from Guam, Hawaii, or the west coast of the United States, they must pass through these waters to reach Japan or Taiwan." The report also mentioned that so far, the two Chinese aircraft carriers still lag behind in tonnage and number of onboard aircraft compared to the current 11 super nuclear-powered aircraft carriers of the U.S. However, "China has already built its third large aircraft carrier, Fujian, which is currently undergoing sea trials before service."
India's Eurasia Times reported on the 10th that the simultaneous appearance of China's two aircraft carriers in the Pacific indicates that the "operational area of China's military is expanding," with the goal of "controlling the vast Pacific from Japan's remote Ogasawara Islands to the U.S. Guam in the western part of the second island chain." The US "Diplomat Scholar" website reported that China's latest naval move is practicing to prevent the U.S. military, including U.S. forces in Japan and South Korea, from intervening militarily in the event of an emergency in Taiwan. "China's navy is striving to establish a comprehensive readiness system that can deploy surface ships, air power, and possibly submarines in the Western Pacific and other areas." The Newsweek reported on the 11th that official accounts of the Chinese People's Liberation Army also released photos of the long-distance training of the two Chinese aircraft carriers, including daytime and nighttime takeoffs of J-15 fighters from the carriers. "It remains unclear whether the Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers are operating in the same sea area. Based on the map obtained by Newsweek, the last locations tracked for the two carriers were respectively on the eastern and western sides of the second island chain."
The US "War Zone" channel of the "Power" website reported on the 10th that the long-distance training of the Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers highlights the growing strength of China's navy. "Notably, the Chinese Navy openly admitted to the joint exercise of dual aircraft carriers in these strategically important waters."
The report acknowledged that the Chinese Navy has full authority to operate in the waters around the first and second island chains and beyond. The strategic significance of China's aircraft carriers operating in this area, especially in the form of dual aircraft carrier battle groups, is very significant. "These island chains were established by the United States as a tool of diplomacy, primarily serving as a strategic line to restrain the Chinese Navy. By projecting its developing naval power into these areas, China demonstrated its capability to counter U.S. military forces and their allies entering these critical areas and even the broader Pacific in the event of a conflict."
The article also mentioned that the Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carrier battle groups conducted their first joint exercises in the South China Sea in October 2024. The operations of dual aircraft carrier battle groups in key sea areas are also a strong symbol of China's military strength. With China's third aircraft carrier, Fujian, undergoing pre-service sea trials, it is just a matter of time before three aircraft carriers of the Chinese Navy can execute joint combat missions in the Western Pacific and even further seas. The article boldly predicted that "in the near future, China's aircraft carrier battle groups may navigate near Guam and further eastward to Wake Island, Midway Island, and ultimately to Hawaii. At the same time, China's navy is increasingly focusing on deployments around Alaska and the Arctic region."
A New Reality in the Pacific
What caused more anxiety for American media was that when China's dual aircraft carriers advanced to the second island chain for long-distance training, the two U.S. aircraft carriers deployed in the region were unable to "synchronize surveillance." The U.S. Naval Institute website released a dynamic update on the 10th showing that the current USS Nimitz aircraft carrier strike group is active in the South China Sea. This is the oldest aircraft carrier in the U.S. Navy and will be retired after completing this deployment. The other aircraft carrier in the region, the USS Washington, has mostly remained in port since arriving in Japan at the end of last year.
The Stars and Stripes reported on the 10th that as China's aircraft carriers headed toward the second island chain, the USS Washington departed Tokyo Bay at noon on the 10th, beginning its first patrol since arriving in Japan last November. The report mentioned that the aircraft carrier arrived at the U.S. Navy base in Yokosuka, Japan on November 22nd of the previous year and had been under maintenance until it conducted a brief sea trial from May 25th to June 4th of this year. Photos showed that there were no carrier-based aircraft on the flight deck when the aircraft carrier left port. The report mentioned that the fifth carrier air wing equipped on the aircraft carrier had just completed training on the sulfur island. The Stars and Stripes reported that the USS Washington's departure "coincided with the increase in activities of China's navy in the region," which was considered part of China's efforts to expand its blue-water navy capabilities.
Expert Zhang Jun-she previously stated that China's dual aircraft carriers simultaneously practicing in the Western Pacific are also sending a signal to the outside world: China's naval capabilities in maritime joint operations and long-distance defense operations are increasing, and the ability to defend the homeland is also increasing. Future capabilities to strike enemies at greater distances are gradually being enhanced. Another Chinese expert interviewed by the Global Times said that several U.S. media outlets mentioned that the U.S. Navy needs to respond to China's active long-distance training of aircraft carriers, but the reality is that the U.S. Navy's available forces are stretched thin. The U.S. Naval Institute website revealed that among the 11 active aircraft carriers of the U.S. Navy, besides the "Washington" and "Nimitz" in the Western Pacific, only the "Carl Vinson" in the Middle East and the "Bush" on the U.S. East Coast are in active service. There are no other U.S. aircraft carriers available in the vast Pacific Ocean where the two Chinese aircraft carriers are operating.
Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7514875782796165647/
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