Shandong carrier drills in western Pacific

China’s navy began a new round of western Pacific drills on May 19 with the aircraft carrier Liaoning, not Shandong, according to Chinese state media and regional reports. Chinese outlets said the carrier group entered relevant western Pacific waters for training that included far-seas tactical flight, live firing, support and cover, and search and rescue. The deployment comes as Japan has stepped up public reporting on Chinese naval movements around the Ryukyu island chain and farther into the Pacific. Bangkok Post and the South China Morning Post both reported the May 19 drills as a Liaoning deployment, citing Chinese military statements. China Daily, citing the PLA Navy, also said Liaoning had been sent to the western Pacific for open-sea training and exercises. ### Which carrier is actually operating in this drill? The PLA Navy said on May 19 that a carrier task group led by Liaoning had been sent to “relevant waters of the Western Pacific” for annual training, according to China Daily and other reports. The training subjects listed in those reports included live firing and tactical flight. The original card description names Shandong, but the reporting available on May 21 points instead to Liaoning as the carrier involved in this specific exercise. (bangkokpost.com) Bangkok Post’s report, despite its headline wording, says in the text that “China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier” kicked off the training on Tuesday. South China Morning Post reported the same. (chinadaily.com.cn) ### Why is Japan paying such close attention? Japan’s Ministry of Defense has documented repeated Chinese carrier operations through waters near Okinawa and into the Pacific. In a ministry summary of Chinese activity, Japan said carrier-based fighter jets had departed from Shandong over the Pacific on multiple occasions in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and that carrier activity east of Iwo-to was publicly confirmed for the first time in June 2025. (bangkokpost.com) A Japanese defense ministry paper dated July 1, 2025, said both Liaoning and Shandong were spotted sailing in the Pacific Ocean from June 17, 2025. A separate paper the same day said Shandong and accompanying ships had been observed in the Pacific since June 20, 2025. ### What has Shandong done in earlier patrols? On April 23, 2025, Japan’s Maritime Self-Defense Force said it spotted Shandong about 790 kilometers south of Miyako-jima Island, accompanied by a Renhai-class destroyer. (mod.go.jp) The Japanese release identified the carrier by hull number 17 and said the ships were operating in waters south of the Ryukyu chain. Japan’s broader defense material says Shandong’s aircraft have repeatedly launched over the Pacific, and that Chinese carrier operations have increased in frequency and range in recent years. (mod.go.jp) A March 2026 defense-capability paper from Tokyo said China “has deployed aircraft carriers into the Pacific and conducted takeoffs and landings of carrier-based aircraft.” ### How tense are China-Japan military contacts right now? (mod.go.jp) On December 6, 2025, Japan said J-15 fighters launched from Liaoning intermittently illuminated two Japanese F-15s with radar in international airspace southeast of Okinawa. Japan’s defense ministry called the incident dangerous and said the Japanese aircraft had been conducting airspace intrusion countermeasures. (mod.go.jp) A draft of Japan’s 2026 defense white paper, reported by Kyodo and carried by Japan Today, says Tokyo plans to highlight concern over rising Chinese military activity in the Pacific. The draft also refers to the December 2025 radar incident and says the paper could be presented to the Cabinet in July. ### What comes next? (mod.go.jp) China did not say how long the May 19 Liaoning drill would last. Past carrier deployments have stretched over weeks, and Japan’s defense ministry typically issues tracking releases as Chinese ships move through the Miyako, Osumi or Tsushima straits and into the Pacific. Japan’s next formal marker is likely its 2026 defense white paper, expected in July, while further Chinese naval movements would appear first in PLA statements or Japanese ministry tracking notices. (japantoday.com) (chinastrategy.org)