Chinese aircraft carrier conducts drills eastconducts drills east of the Philippines
Japan’s Defense Ministry said China’s Liaoning aircraft carrier strike group carried out flight drills in the Pacific Ocean east of the Philippines last week.
Tokyo said the exercises came amid sharper Chinese criticism of Japan’s military buildup and closer security ties between Japan and Manila, underscoring rising tensions in the western Pacific.
Japan
Tokyo described the carrier drills as part of a broader pattern of Chinese military activity around Japan’s nearby islands and sea lanes. It linked the exercises to Beijing’s criticism of Japan’s defense spending and its deepening cooperation with the Philippines.
China
Beijing framed Japan’s concerns against the background of what it sees as Japan’s expanding military posture. It has also objected to Japan’s growing security ties with Manila, which Chinese officials view as part of a wider regional containment effort.
- Miyakojima sits near a busy maritime corridor between Okinawa and Taiwan.
- The Liaoning began life as an unfinished Soviet hull before China acquired and rebuilt it.
- The Philippines and Japan have both strengthened defense coordination in response to regional maritime pressure.
US-China Indo-Pacific Rivalry
China and Taiwan coast guard vessels have repeatedly faced off near the Pratas Islands, with the latest standoff showing how small maritime incidents around Taiwan can quickly become confrontations.[1][5] The episode adds to wider U.S.-China military tension across the Indo-Pacific, where Beijing is expanding patrols and Washington is reinforcing regional deterrence.[2][3] The rivalry now centers on preventing miscalculation around Taiwan, the South China Sea, and nearby sea lanes.[1][3][5] It also shapes defense planning by Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and the United States as all sides weigh coercion, sovereignty claims, and the risk of escalation.[2][3]
24 May, 07:39 AM
Taiwan and China coast guards face off near Pratas islands1 January
The United States adopts a sharper great-power competition strategy focused on China
