China’s Liaoning carrier group has appeared in the South China Sea off Hainan, satellite photos show, after it was said to pass through the Taiwan Strait, in what analysts are describing as an “unusually large display of the Chinese military’s growing naval might.”
That is according to Reuters, which obtained the photos showing at least 40 ships flanking the aircraft carrier.
In addition to the scale of the exercise, observers said the movements were likely aimed at showing off inter-fleet capabilities.
“Judging by the images, it does seem they are keen to show that elements of the South Sea Fleet are able to routinely join up with the carrier strike group from Dalian in the north,” Collin Koh, a security expert at Singapore’s S Rajaratnam School of International Studies, was quoted as saying.
“It does seem they want to show inter-fleet interoperability – something the [People’s Liberation Army] Navy has been quietly working on for some time.”
But, Koh added, “while it highlights an extensive ability to deploy, we are still left to guess at the PLAN’s combat readiness.”
The exercise follows reports that the Liaoning carrier group, as well as Chinese fighter jets, passed through the Taiwan Strait and over the Bashi Channel to the south of Taiwan.
It also comes after a US guided-missile destroyer carried out a freedom of navigation operation near an artificial island controlled by China on Friday. China’s Defense Ministry termed the move a provocation, saying that the operation “violated basic rules of international relations, and harmed regional peace and stability.”
A large scale drill like that takes time to organise and assemble the ships. The exercises were planned long before the US provocation with a single missile destroyer. The exercises are not aimed at any one but a simple training drill.
Awsomeness !!!
Drill enemies, China and US. Two many drills without real use of forces , no one would be seriously .
Ken Nguyen…..It should be aimed at multiple ones then, such as India, Australia, the US, and all the disputants to the SCS. If so, I think the drill only served to promote arms race.
Modern day Zeng He in China’s sea. Formidable !!!!!!!
Sad that even here that censoring is highly erratic…
Nonsense
Nonsense
Nonsebse
white world only principle might makes right biggest arms dealer england and france biggest drugs sellers
There are Chinese people all over Europe,shops, restaurants,all subsidized by Chinese National bank..Send them back home,UE doesn’t need Carrier show off for nothing, we only need our jobs,we need to control back our almost 300 million consumers,not give them away to China!
Carrier group? You only have 1 carrier you morons, not to mention 2nd hand from russia fitted with crap quality china garbage
And what does your country have? Zilch.
And the term carrier group is to imply a fleet of vessels centered around 1 carrier as the mothership/flagship of the group.
Keep believing that china still produces garbage, it’s easier for them to conquer you from beneath your nose when suddenly realize everything you use, is made in China.
Tiangong-1 reminds me of Skylab 1969
As thought like they own the sea….
I think china is is playing old west. A criminal was spotted in the area so the sherrif rounded up a posse to chase em down. ????
Then US Senior senators now urge sale of F-35B to Taiwan. What an oppurtunity. 🙂
The bully flex its muscle but free world arnt afraid its useless exercise
Please observe the equity market.If those show off by both side didnt affected the shares market then nothing much to debate about the latest drills
Indian navy alone would kick China’s ass in no time.
China want to show its strength to opponents.
Jon Lee even india can kick chinas ass
Indians will say "nonsense" but lets face it, China has a formidable Navy growing bigger daily. India is struggling tokeep theie nNavu afloat. China has a Navel Basris South Sri Lanka as well
USA sailing in International waters in South China Sea are no provocations. Just a mild reminder to China that they must be careful, or else..
China may have numbers in ships, and modest tech. But these are sitting ducks if war broke out. Their naval component are not as prepared and trained like that of the Western navies. They have submarines, yes, but are limited only to West Philippine Sea and East China Sea. They can’t cover all the oceans or do combat operations underwater unless they want to sail them on the surface and end up getting blown to hell by their enemies. China does not have oceanographic maps used by Western navies with submarine capabilities. I don’t think, Russia will give them these naval maps with the kind of relationship they have in the past.
Chira Fernando, China’s debt trap on Habbantota port in Sri Lanka and it’s takeover/lease …. Do you think world doesn’t know what is China’s design. China will pay a big price very soon…
Ravindran Panicker what Chinese debt trap? The debt is due to financial mismanagement by the current regime. Debt as a proportion of GDP fell from 104 percent in 2004 to 72percent in 2014 (approx figures). It rose again to 85 percent in the past two years because of two bond scams and a flight of capital, failure to capitalise on falling petroleum costs, etc.
I think that both nations are showing respect as well as providing insight into their respective positions.