The PLA Navy’s Liaoning aircraft carrier has started its second drill series in the western Pacific this year, with the training likely to coincide with an expanded US-Japan military exercise that could have implications for a Taiwan contingency.
The Liaoning carrier group was carrying out the drill in “relevant waters” of the western Pacific Ocean as part of the navy’s annual training plan, China’s defence ministry said on Wednesday.
While it did not disclose the exact location of the drill, the ministry said it was meant to “test and improve the troops’ combat-oriented training level” and complied with international law and practice, targeting no specific country or objective.
The ministry also did not specify how long the drill would take, but such carrier exercises generally run for weeks.
The Liaoning’s first training session in the western Pacific this year lasted 35 days from May to June. In June last year, it conducted training with the Shandong aircraft carrier for about 20 days.