CNS Liaoning carrier group drills near Japan, Philippines — SkimNews
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- CNS Liaoning completed its sixth faraway deployment since 2012, departing on October 14 for the western Pacific as part of an annual training plan to test combat readiness, according to the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy.
- People’s Liberation Army Navy led a task group with the Liaoning, two large destroyers, and a guided-missile destroyer, conducting drills near Japan’s Ishigaki Island and en route to the South China Sea as of October 23.
- Japan’s defense ministry observed fighter aircraft launching and landing from the Liaoning 250 kilometers south of Ishigaki Island, within Japan’s maritime exclusive economic zone—an activity described as uncommon by analysts.
- Taiwan Ministry of National Defense monitored the Liaoning’s movements in mid-October, assessing the potential for large-scale Chinese military exercises near the island amid ongoing tensions.
- Carl Thayer, an Asia specialist, stated the Liaoning’s voyages reflect an evolving pattern of far-seas training that demonstrates China’s naval capability and political influence in near and distant waters.
- Collin Koh, a senior fellow at Nanyang Technological University, noted the Liaoning’s role in validating new technologies and supporting the operational development of China’s more modern carriers, particularly the CNS Shandong.
Why it matters: The Liaoning’s repeated deployments near contested regions signal China’s intent to normalize long-range naval operations, directly affecting military planning in Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines. Its presence during the lead-up to U.S.-Japan Keen Sword 27 exercises underscores growing strategic friction in the region, with real-time implications for regional defense postures.
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