Liaoning carrier starts western Pacific drills

China’s PLA Navy sent the Liaoning carrier strike group into the western Pacific on Tuesday for exercises that Chinese officials described as routine training under the military’s annual plan. The deployment included long-range tactical flight operations, live-fire drills, support and cover maneuvers, and search-and-rescue training, according to Chinese state media. Taiwan reacted within hours, with Premier Cho Jung-tai calling China’s military activity the biggest source of regional instability. The move also drew attention in Japan, where the carrier’s operations come after months of friction between Chinese and Japanese forces. ### What exactly did China say the Liaoning group is doing? The PLA Navy said on May 19 that a formation led by the Liaoning had sailed to “relevant waters” of the western Pacific for training. Xinhua and CGTN said the drills were meant to test and improve realistic combat training and were being carried out in line with the annual training plan and international practice. (english.news.cn) Chinese reports said the training package includes far-sea tactical flight operations, live-fire shooting, support and cover maneuvers, and comprehensive rescue. China Daily carried the same outline, describing the deployment as intended to enhance the force’s ability to fulfill its missions. ### Why is this deployment getting extra attention now? (english.news.cn) The South China Morning Post reported on Tuesday that the Liaoning group’s western Pacific training would include live-fire drills and was likely to draw scrutiny from Japan because of already tense bilateral ties. The report said the exercise comes months after a December standoff involving Japanese fighter jets during an earlier carrier operation. (chinadaily.com.cn) UPI reported that the carrier deployment came days after a U.S.-China summit in Beijing. Chinese officials did not publicly link the exercise to the summit, and state media framed it as a scheduled activity. ### What did Taiwan say in response? Taiwan Premier Cho Jung-tai told reporters in Taipei on Tuesday that China was the greatest source of regional unease and instability because of its continuing military activity. (scmp.com) Reuters, as carried by Taipei Times and other outlets, said Cho made the remarks ahead of the anniversary of President William Lai’s inauguration. (upi.com) Cho’s comments came as Beijing maintained pressure on Taiwan through regular naval and air operations. Taiwan’s government has repeatedly said such activity threatens peace in the Taiwan Strait and the wider Indo-Pacific, while Beijing says Taiwan is part of China and objects to what it calls separatist activity by Lai’s administration. ### Is there also concern inside China about training standards? (taipeitimes.com) The PLA Daily said this week that advanced equipment is of limited value if troops cannot operate it effectively. The South China Morning Post, citing the military newspaper, reported a warning that some personnel may not be sufficiently trained to use new systems, including unmanned platforms, despite rapid modernization. (taipeitimes.com) That public warning appeared the same day as the Liaoning deployment. The juxtaposition underscored a point made in the PLA Daily article itself: some units still show weak integration between personnel and equipment, according to the SCMP report. ### What does this say about China’s navy operations farther from shore? (scmp.com) The Liaoning deployment adds to a pattern of Chinese carrier activity beyond nearby coastal waters. Chinese state media described the latest exercise as routine, and official statements stressed compliance with international law and common practice, language Beijing has used before to present such patrols as normal naval operations. (scmp.com) Regional governments have treated those operations more warily. Taiwan used the latest mission to criticize Beijing directly, while Japanese concern has centered on the proximity and frequency of Chinese naval and air activity around waters that matter to Japan’s security planning. ### What happens next as the drills continue? The Liaoning group was already at sea on May 19, and Chinese statements did not give an end date for the exercise. (english.news.cn) Further details are most likely to come from PLA Navy announcements, Chinese state media, and defense updates from Taiwan and Japan as the carrier group continues operating in the western Pacific. (taipeitimes.com)