Overview

• The Shandong and its escort vessels Zhanjiang, Yanan and Yuncheng docked on July 3 for a five-day port call after sailing off Hong Kong’s southern coast
• All 10,000 tickets for tours and cultural exchanges on the carrier and escort ships were claimed within minutes on WeChat, drawing crowds to Victoria Harbour
• This visit follows June’s joint drills with the Liaoning beyond the second island chain and April blockade exercises around Taiwan under the Eastern Theater Command
• Chief Executive John Lee said the flotilla’s presence will deepen public understanding of China’s defense modernization and reinforce national security education
• Beijing’s high-visibility naval diplomacy coincides with expanded PLA Navy blue-water operations that have prompted increased U.S. and allied carrier deployments in the Indo-Pacific