The People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) Liaoning Carrier Strike Group (CSG) deployed to the Philippine Sea Wednesday, in the carrier’s first western Pacific deployment since completing a mid-life refurbishment in March.
CNS Liaoning (16), accompanied by destroyers CNS Chengdu (120) and CNS Huainan (123), was sighted 130 miles northwest of Uotsuri Island around 7 p.m. Tuesday, according to a Wednesday release from Japan’s Joint Staff Office. A three-ship PLAN surface action group followed, likely also part of the Liaoning CSG.
The Liaoning CSG sailed south in an area 43 miles west of Uotsuri Island then saile south between Yonaguni Island and Iriomote Island to enter the Philippine Sea from Tuesday to Wednesday. Yonaguni Island lies 67 miles east of Taiwan, and PLAN ships routinely transit the waters between Yonaguni Island and Taiwan. Japan placed a radar and an electronic warfare unit on the island to track Chinese movements in the area, and the U.S. Marine Corps in August deployed a mobile radar there as part of the Marine Corps–Japan Self Defense Force (JSDF) exercise Resolute Dragon 24.
This was the first time a PLAN carrier sailed between Yonaguni Island and Iriomote Island, according to the release. JMSDF destroyer JS Takanami (DD-110) and destroyer escort JS Sendai (DE-232), along with a JMSDF P-1 maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) of Fleet Air Wing 1 based at JMSDF Kanoya Air Base on the main island of Kyushu and a JMSDF P-3C Orion MPA of Fleet Air Wing 5 based at Naha Air Base on Okinawa surveilled the PLAN ships.
The PLAN CSG sailed through Japan’s contiguous zone while sailing between Yonaguni Island and Iriomote Island, unacceptable to Japan, Japan Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Hiroshi Moriya said in a Wednesday press conference.
Tokyo conveyed its “serious concerns” to Beijing, he said. The contiguous zone is a band of water that starts from the 12-nautical mile limit of a nation’s territorial sea and ends 24 nautical miles from a country’s baseline. Nations have limited rights in this area, allowing them to take action only against infringement of its customs, fiscal, immigration or sanitary laws and regulations within its territory or territorial sea.
China Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesperson Lin Jian in a Wednesday press conference referred questions about the carrier to other Chinese authorities.
“I want to emphasize that the relevant activities of China are in compliance with China’s domestic law and international law,” Lin said.
China’s Ministry of National Defense has not made any statement as of press time, but the Chinese defense ministry and military generally do not comment or release information on ongoing carrier deployments.
Taiwan also tracked the Liaoning CSG, issuing a social media statement.
“PLA Navy vessels, led by the aircraft carrier Liaoning, sailed through the waters northeast of Taiwan and continued toward the southeast of Yonaguni Island, Japan. During this period, ROC Armed Forces have monitored the situation and responded accordingly,” reads the statement.
China’s media reported that along with at sea training, Liaoning had been conducting trials of the J-35 fighter aircraft, a carrier-borne next-generation stealth fighter aircraft, following its return to the PLAN fleet.
The JSO also issued a second release on Wednesday, about cruiser CNS Anshan (103), destroyer CNS Urumqi (118) and fast combat support ship CNS Hulunhu (901), which were sighted 49 miles northwest of Uotsuri Island around 9 a.m.
The PLAN ships sailed south in an area 37 miles west of Uotsuri Island and then sailed south through the waters between Yonaguni Island and Iriomote Island to enter the Philippine Sea. Takanami and Sendai, together with fleet oiler JS Towada (AOE-422), shadowed the PLAN ships, according to the release. It is likely the three PLAN ships are also part of the Liaoning CSG given the proximity of the passages near Japan of both groups of ships.
