Japan’s defence ministry has reported sighting the Chinese navy conducting aircraft carrier drills in the Pacific Ocean, close to the eastern Philippines‘ Luzon island last week.
In a bulletin issued on Monday, June 1st, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force confirmed that China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning and accompanying vessels passed through the strategically sensitive waters in late May.
Aircraft including helicopters conducted scores of take-off and landing drills as the Chinese fleet sailed around the western Pacific Rim, reaching as close as 590 km (367 miles) southeast of Japan’s Miyakojima island, adding to geopolitical tensions in the region.
In April, Taiwan’s defence ministry disclosed how its monitoring apparatus spotted the Liaoning on the move—the first Chinese aircraft carrier of the year to sail through the Taiwan Strait.
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