Latest news with #JapanJointStaff
Miami Herald
4 days ago
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Mapped: How China Staged Double Aircraft Carrier Show of Force in Pacific
Japan on Monday issued an update on China's operational aircraft carriers-the Liaoning and Shandong-deployed simultaneously to the Western Pacific. A Newsweek map based on the Japan Joint Staff report tracks the strike carrier groups' movements beyond the so-called First Island Chain, signaling Beijing's growing confidence in its blue-water naval capabilities. The First Island Chain-a string of archipelagos including U.S. treaty allies Japan and the Philippines as well as U.S.-aligned Taiwan-is considered crucial to Washington's hopes of containing Chinese forces in the event of a war. China continues to rapidly develop the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the world's largest by ship count. Security analyst Bryce Barros told Newsweek the joint deployment beyond the First Island Chain is a "milestone" that signals growing confidence in Beijing's power projection capabilities in a region long dominated by the U.S. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry by email with a request for comment outside of office hours. The Shandong and Liaoning were both operating beyond the First Island Chain back on June 7, according to Tokyo, which has been closely monitoring the deployments. As of Monday, the Shandong-commissioned in 2019-and its support ships had sailed west through the strategic Luzon Strait between Taiwan and the Philippines and were heading south toward the South China Sea, where the carrier is homeported on China's Hainan Island. The Liaoning, a refurbished former Soviet-era warship commissioned in 2012, sailed even farther, briefly venturing beyond what the U.S. considers its next Pacific line of defense-the Second Island Chain-on June 7 and June 8. On Friday, the Liaoning transited the Miyako Strait-a key chokepoint in Japan's Ryukyu Islands-before entering the East China Sea that same day, apparently en route to its home port of Qingdao. The Liaoning's aircraft conducted at least 440 takeoffs and landings between June 8 and Thursday, according to estimates by the Japan Joint Staff. The Shandong carried out at least 420 takeoffs and landings between June 9 and Monday. During the Liaoning's operations in the Western Pacific, the carrier dispatched J-15 fighter jets to intercept four "foreign" fighters that were tracked approaching the carrier, in what the command room believed could be a simulated strike on the Chinese formation, state broadcaster China Central Television reported Sunday. The J-15s, armed with live missiles, executed tactical maneuvers and drove away the foreign aircraft, according to the report. The Chinese carrier groups' movements in recent days have coincided with a shift in Western naval power in the region, as the supercarrier USS Nimitz left the South China Sea for the Middle East amid escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Meanwhile, the British carrier HMS Prince of Wales arrived in Singapore on Monday to begin its eight-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific region. Bryce Barros, a security fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Truman National Security Project, told Newsweek: "China's dual carrier deployment beyond the First Island Chain marks a symbolic and operational milestone, signaling growing confidence in projecting power toward the Second Island Chain. "Still, [American aircraft carrier] USS George Washington, HMS Prince of Wales, and [amphibious assault ships] USS America and USS Tripoli remain in the region. The U.S. must reassure partners that it takes PLAN advances seriously-ensuring presence, posture, and partnership remain strong despite global distractions." China's objectives in deploying both aircraft carriers remain unclear. It is also uncertain whether U.S. and allied navies will respond in the Western Pacific amid Washington's deepening involvement in the Middle East conflict, sparked earlier this month by Israeli airstrikes against Iranian military and nuclear targets. Related Articles Why Congress Must Pass the AI Regulation Moratorium on States | OpinionThe U.S. Patent Office Should Not Let Itself Be Used for Litigation Gamesmanship | OpinionRepublicans and Democrats Agreed on Iran's Nuclear Weapons ThreatFootage Shows China Firing Water Cannon at US Ally Near Disputed Territory 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
4 days ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Mapped: How China Staged Double Aircraft Carrier Show of Force in Pacific
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. Japan on Monday issued an update on China's operational aircraft carriers—the Liaoning and Shandong—deployed simultaneously to the Western Pacific. A Newsweek map based on the Japan Joint Staff report tracks the strike carrier groups' movements beyond the so-called First Island Chain, signaling Beijing's growing confidence in its blue-water naval capabilities. Why It Matters The First Island Chain—a string of archipelagos including U.S. treaty allies Japan and the Philippines as well as U.S.-aligned Taiwan—is considered crucial to Washington's hopes of containing Chinese forces in the event of a war. China continues to rapidly develop the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN), the world's largest by ship count. Security analyst Bryce Barros told Newsweek the joint deployment beyond the First Island Chain is a "milestone" that signals growing confidence in Beijing's power projection capabilities in a region long dominated by the U.S. Newsweek reached out to the Chinese Foreign Ministry by email with a request for comment outside of office hours. Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on June 22, 2025, shows the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong operating in the Philippine Sea in the Western Pacific Ocean. Imagery captured by the ESA's Sentinel-2 satellites on June 22, 2025, shows the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong operating in the Philippine Sea in the Western Pacific Ocean. Copernicus What To Know The Shandong and Liaoning were both operating beyond the First Island Chain back on June 7, according to Tokyo, which has been closely monitoring the deployments. As of Monday, the Shandong—commissioned in 2019—and its support ships had sailed west through the strategic Luzon Strait between Taiwan and the Philippines and were heading south toward the South China Sea, where the carrier is homeported on China's Hainan Island. The Liaoning, a refurbished former Soviet-era warship commissioned in 2012, sailed even farther, briefly venturing beyond what the U.S. considers its next Pacific line of defense—the Second Island Chain—on June 7 and June 8. On Friday, the Liaoning transited the Miyako Strait—a key chokepoint in Japan's Ryukyu Islands—before entering the East China Sea that same day, apparently en route to its home port of Qingdao. The Liaoning's aircraft conducted at least 440 takeoffs and landings between June 8 and Thursday, according to estimates by the Japan Joint Staff. The Shandong carried out at least 420 takeoffs and landings between June 9 and Monday. During the Liaoning's operations in the Western Pacific, the carrier dispatched J-15 fighter jets to intercept four "foreign" fighters that were tracked approaching the carrier, in what the command room believed could be a simulated strike on the Chinese formation, state broadcaster China Central Television reported Sunday. The J-15s, armed with live missiles, executed tactical maneuvers and drove away the foreign aircraft, according to the report. The Chinese carrier groups' movements in recent days have coincided with a shift in Western naval power in the region, as the supercarrier USS Nimitz left the South China Sea for the Middle East amid escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Meanwhile, the British carrier HMS Prince of Wales arrived in Singapore on Monday to begin its eight-month deployment in the Indo-Pacific region. What People Are Saying Bryce Barros, a security fellow at the Washington, D.C.-based Truman National Security Project, told Newsweek: "China's dual carrier deployment beyond the First Island Chain marks a symbolic and operational milestone, signaling growing confidence in projecting power toward the Second Island Chain. "Still, [American aircraft carrier] USS George Washington, HMS Prince of Wales, and [amphibious assault ships] USS America and USS Tripoli remain in the region. The U.S. must reassure partners that it takes PLAN advances seriously—ensuring presence, posture, and partnership remain strong despite global distractions." What's Next China's objectives in deploying both aircraft carriers remain unclear. It is also uncertain whether U.S. and allied navies will respond in the Western Pacific amid Washington's deepening involvement in the Middle East conflict, sparked earlier this month by Israeli airstrikes against Iranian military and nuclear targets.
Miami Herald
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Miami Herald
Chinese Aircraft Carrier Challenges US's Pacific War Strategy
China continues to challenge the United States' maritime containment strategy in the Pacific Ocean by sending an aircraft carrier to contested waters near Japan, a key Washington ally. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a news conference on Wednesday that China's naval activities "are entirely in accordance with international law and international practice" and also urged Japan to view the matter "objectively and rationally." Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. Under the U.S.'s island chain strategy, three defensive lines are established by leveraging U.S.-aligned territories to restrict China's access to the Pacific Ocean. The closest one to the East Asian power is the first island chain, consisting of Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. China has the world's largest navy by hull count, according to a Pentagon report, with more than 370 ships and submarines, including two aircraft carriers in active service. This naval fleet enables China to expand its military presence and reach within and beyond the island chains. The recent deployment of the Chinese aircraft carrier comes as the U.S. Navy has sent a pair of aircraft carriers to different waters in the western Pacific Ocean this week: the USS Nimitz, operating in the South China Sea, and the USS George Washington, operating near Japan. The Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning, previously spotted in the East China Sea north of Japan's southwestern Senkaku Islands, passed through the Miyako Strait southeast toward the Philippine Sea on Tuesday, the Joint Staff of the Japanese Defense Ministry announced. The Liaoning was operating in waters southeast of Japan's southwestern Miyako Island eight hours after sailing through the strait. It was joined by the Chinese Type 055 destroyer CNS Nanchang and the Type 052D destroyer CNS Qiqihar, both identified by their hull numbers. Prior to its strait transit, the Chinese aircraft carrier was observed conducting flight missions while underway in the East China Sea from Sunday to Monday, the Japan Joint Staff added. Its fighter jets and helicopters carried out 90 and 30 takeoffs and landings, respectively. According to a map provided by the Japan Joint Staff, the Chinese naval ships were tracked outside Japan's territorial waters—which extend up to 13.8 miles from the coastline—but have remained within Japan's 230-mile-wide exclusive economic zone since Monday. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force dispatched ships and aircraft to surveil and gather intelligence on the Chinese naval task group, while Japanese fighter aircraft were scrambled in response to the flight operations of the Liaoning's fighter jets, the Japan Joint Staff said. Earlier this month, a group of five Chinese naval vessels was detected transiting the Miyako Strait toward the Philippine Sea. This waterway is one of the key gateways along the first island chain that the Chinese navy uses to access the broader western Pacific Ocean. The Joint Staff of the Japanese Defense Ministry said on Wednesday: "Yesterday, there was a risk of airspace violation in the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, so fighter jets from the Western Air Defense Force of the Air Self-Defense Force were scrambled to respond." The Chinese Defense Ministry previously commented: "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." It was not immediately clear whether the Liaoning would carry out any military drills while operating in waters east of Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by China. Related Articles Trump's Greenland Bid Poses Global Dangers, Says the Woman Facing Him DownChina Responds to Trump Freeze on Student Visa InterviewsChina Reveals Laser Tech to Read Text From a Mile AwayPhotos Show Chinese Ship Detected in Waters Claimed by US Ally 2025 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
Newsweek
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Newsweek
Chinese Aircraft Carrier Challenges US's Pacific War Strategy
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. China continues to challenge the United States' maritime containment strategy in the Pacific Ocean by sending an aircraft carrier to contested waters near Japan, a key Washington ally. Mao Ning, a spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said at a news conference on Wednesday that China's naval activities "are entirely in accordance with international law and international practice" and also urged Japan to view the matter "objectively and rationally." Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for comment by email. Why It Matters Under the U.S.'s island chain strategy, three defensive lines are established by leveraging U.S.-aligned territories to restrict China's access to the Pacific Ocean. The closest one to the East Asian power is the first island chain, consisting of Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines. China has the world's largest navy by hull count, according to a Pentagon report, with more than 370 ships and submarines, including two aircraft carriers in active service. This naval fleet enables China to expand its military presence and reach within and beyond the island chains. The recent deployment of the Chinese aircraft carrier comes as the U.S. Navy has sent a pair of aircraft carriers to different waters in the western Pacific Ocean this week: the USS Nimitz, operating in the South China Sea, and the USS George Washington, operating near Japan. What To Know The Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning, previously spotted in the East China Sea north of Japan's southwestern Senkaku Islands, passed through the Miyako Strait southeast toward the Philippine Sea on Tuesday, the Joint Staff of the Japanese Defense Ministry announced. The Liaoning was operating in waters southeast of Japan's southwestern Miyako Island eight hours after sailing through the strait. It was joined by the Chinese Type 055 destroyer CNS Nanchang and the Type 052D destroyer CNS Qiqihar, both identified by their hull numbers. Prior to its strait transit, the Chinese aircraft carrier was observed conducting flight missions while underway in the East China Sea from Sunday to Monday, the Japan Joint Staff added. Its fighter jets and helicopters carried out 90 and 30 takeoffs and landings, respectively. According to a map provided by the Japan Joint Staff, the Chinese naval ships were tracked outside Japan's territorial waters—which extend up to 13.8 miles from the coastline—but have remained within Japan's 230-mile-wide exclusive economic zone since Monday. The Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force dispatched ships and aircraft to surveil and gather intelligence on the Chinese naval task group, while Japanese fighter aircraft were scrambled in response to the flight operations of the Liaoning's fighter jets, the Japan Joint Staff said. A J-15 fighter jet landing on the flight deck of the Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning during a drill in the South China Sea on April 8, 2021. A J-15 fighter jet landing on the flight deck of the Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning during a drill in the South China Sea on April 8, 2021. VCG/VCG via AP Earlier this month, a group of five Chinese naval vessels was detected transiting the Miyako Strait toward the Philippine Sea. This waterway is one of the key gateways along the first island chain that the Chinese navy uses to access the broader western Pacific Ocean. What People Are Saying The Joint Staff of the Japanese Defense Ministry said on Wednesday: "Yesterday, there was a risk of airspace violation in the East China Sea and the Pacific Ocean, so fighter jets from the Western Air Defense Force of the Air Self-Defense Force were scrambled to respond." The Chinese Defense Ministry previously commented: "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 It was not immediately clear whether the Liaoning would carry out any military drills while operating in waters east of Taiwan, a self-governed island claimed by China.
