Navy's carrier battle group back after drill
Liaoning and its escort vessels complete over-40-day, long-range deployment in South China Sea and western Pacific Ocean
A carrier battle group of the People's Liberation Army Navy, led by the aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning, concluded a long-range training deployment and returned to its homeport of Qingdao, Shandong province, on Monday, according to the PLA Navy.
In a statement, the PLA Navy said the carrier battle group spent more than 40 days conducting realistic combat-oriented exercises in the South China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean.
During the training period, Japanese vessels and aircraft repeatedly conducted close-range surveillance near the Chinese naval formation. The Liaoning group maintained a high state of alert when encountering these vessels and aircraft, and deployed carrier-based fighter jets to respond to what it described as unsafe actions by the Japanese side in a professional and prudent manner, according to the statement.
Video clips released by the PLA Navy showed several Japanese military aircraft and JS Asahi, a destroyer of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force, operating in close proximity to Chinese vessels, posing potential safety risks for both sides.
