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2d ago

China Operates Two Aircraft Carriers Simultaneously in Western Pacific

Tokyo lodged a formal protest after Chinese J-15 fighters intercepted Japanese patrol planes at dangerously close range.

Chinese aircraft carriers CNS Liaoning, top, and CNS Shandong, bottom, conduct flight operations with J-15 fighter jets in the western Pacific Ocean in early June 2025.
This handout photo taken on June 8, 2025 and received on June 12, 2025 from Japan's Ministry of Defence shows a J-15 fighter jet from the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong making an unusual approach to a Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force P-3C patrol aircraft that was conducting surveillance above the Pacific Ocean.
Kawasaki P-3C Orion
Image

Overview

  • China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy deployed CNS Liaoning and CNS Shandong together beyond the first island chain for the first time.
  • A PLA Navy spokesperson said the dual-carrier operation was routine annual training to test far-sea defense and joint operations capabilities.
  • Japan’s defense ministry reported J-15 fighters from the Shandong approached Japanese P-3C patrol aircraft as close as 45 meters during weekend encounters over international waters.
  • Japan lodged a formal protest through diplomatic channels, with Defense Minister Gen Nakatani demanding that China prevent a recurrence of hazardous intercepts.
  • The Pentagon has warned that China’s expanding carrier fleet extends air-defense coverage beyond land-based systems and reflects Beijing’s push for a blue-water navy.