China has deployed the aircraft carrier Shandong to the Western Pacific for the third time since the beginning of the year

China has once again deployed the aircraft carrier Shandong to the Western Pacific Ocean. This happened for the third time since the beginning of 2023.

Here's What We Know

The Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy sent its largest aircraft carrier to the Pacific in April, where it operated for 19 days. The ship's second deployment to the Philippine Sea lasted only five days.

Shandong's new deployment to the western Pacific was reported by Taiwan's Ministry of National Defence. The ministry also published a photo of the Chinese warship, but did not specify which ships were accompanying it.

Japan did not make any statements regarding the deployment of the aircraft carrier. This is an atypical situation, as usually the Maritime Self-Defence Force of the Land of the Rising Sun observes Chinese ships.

However, Japan later reported that the Chinese Y-9 came from the East China Sea and transited through the Miyako Strait before entering the Philippine Sea. It then travelled back the same way. In response to the movements of the Chinese aircraft, Japanese fighter jets were in the air.

Meanwhile, the US aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76) was in the South China Sea. In addition to it, the strike group includes the destroyer USS Shoup (DDG 86) as well as the cruisers USS Antietam (CG 54) and USS Robert Smalls (CG 62).

Source: USNI News