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Chinese state media reported on Thursday that China conducted its first military exercises in the disputed South China Sea using two operational aircraft carriers.
State media did not say when the exercises with ships from Liaoning and Shandong provinces took place, but said the wide-ranging naval mission coincided with public holidays in late September and October.
State broadcaster CCTV said the exercise “in the waters of the South China Sea” was aimed at “refining and strengthening the combat capabilities of the aircraft carrier formation system.”
CCTV said in a post with footage of jets taking off and landing on both aircraft carriers that exercises were also held in the Yellow Sea and East China Sea.
The Soviet-built Liaoning is China’s oldest aircraft carrier, commissioned in 2012.
“Shandong” was commissioned in 2019, and the third aircraft carrier “Fujian” is undergoing sea trials.
This month, Liaoning province participated in large-scale military exercises held around Taiwan, which the Chinese government characterized as an exercise in building a blockade of the autonomous island.
One expert told AFP that the two-carrier exercise may have followed these exercises and “represents a significant step forward in carrier planning and power projection capabilities.”
Duan Dang, a Vietnam-based maritime security analyst, said, “There is no doubt that there will be more such exercises in the future, and China could incorporate both aircraft carriers into a large-scale Taiwan blockade exercise.” There is a gender,” he said.
China has ramped up a massive naval expansion in recent years to expand its reach in the Pacific and challenge the U.S.-led alliance.
A January report released by the U.S. Congressional Research Service, citing the Department of Defense, described the country as the world’s largest navy and said it was projected to grow to 435 ships by 2030.
Analysts at Washington-based think tank CSIS said the Fujian jet is expected to have a more advanced takeoff system, allowing the Chinese air force to deploy jets with larger payloads and more fuel. Ta.
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