China's Aircraft Carrier Liaoning Spotted Near Taiwan, Then Moves On

On Tuesday, Japan's military shared that the Chinese aircraft carrier, Liaoning, had moved away from Taiwan and was heading back to the South China Sea. The Liaoning had been taking part in major military exercises near Taiwan, which included simulated attacks on sea and land targets. It was spotted in the Philippine Sea, roughly 304 miles south of Japan's nearest island. The Liaoning participated in the Joint Sword-2024B exercises, which involved various warships and aircraft. Over two days, there were about 140 takeoffs and landings by fighter jets and helicopters from the carrier. The Liaoning was accompanied by two warships: the Type 055 destroyer CNS Anshan and the Type 052D destroyer CNS Urumqi. Interestingly, a Chinese military observer noted that photos showed the Anshan refueling an airborne Z-18 helicopter. This was the first time such an operation was captured on camera. The reason behind this unusual refueling method remains unclear. The Liaoning had been in the area before, having been there just a month earlier. After leaving the Philippines, it headed toward the South China Sea. It was later seen docked at a naval base on China's Hainan Island with another carrier, the CNS Shandong. China has three aircraft carriers, with the most advanced one, the CNS Fujian, still undergoing tests at a shipyard in Shanghai. It's not certain where the Liaoning will go next, but if it heads to its home port in Qingdao, it might pass through the Taiwan Strait, which China claims to control. In other activity, four Chinese warships transited the Miyako Strait and were spotted in the East China Sea after patrolling with the Russian navy. Another group of Chinese warships circumnavigated Japan's Sakishima Islands and returned via the Miyako Strait. Additionally, a Chinese spy ship completed a journey through various Japanese straits, entering the Sea of Japan and then heading north.