Beijing: China’s aircraft carrier ‘Liaoning’ has left for the Pacific ocean, after conducting drills near Korean territory a week ago. The Chinese aircraft carrier will be conducting military drills in the western region of the Pacific Ocean. Last week, China had announced that its aircraft carrier warship is now combat ready.
According to the information published in the Chinese government mouthpiece ‘Global Times‘, the aircraft carrier ‘Liaoning’ has already left for the western Pacific Ocean. The spokesperson of the Chinese Navy, Liang Yang has told the daily that ‘Liaoning‘ will conduct military drills in the western Pacific Ocean for the next few days. The Navy has also clarified that the war drill is a routine military exercise.
The Chinese aircraft carrier earlier conducted military drill at ‘Yellow sea’ along with other battleships before leaving for the Pacific. The Japanese defense ministry stated that this exercise included eight battleships of China. Similarly, a fleet of the China-made J-15 fighter planes, which are to be deployed on ‘Liaoning’ also participated in the military drills. However, the Japanese defense ministry informed that it is for the first time that the Chinese battleships and aircraft carriers did not step into the Japanese territory of the East China Sea, while travelling from Yellow sea to the West Pacific region. So far, the Chinese battleships and fighter planes have stepped into the maritime territory and the airspace of Japan hundreds of times. Hence, Japan has expressed surprise that the Chinese aircraft carrier headed for the western Pacific without creating any dispute this time.
Four days ago, the Chinese fighter planes and bombers had stepped into the airspace of Japan flying as far as the ‘Okinawa’ group of islands. Similarly China had conducted military exercises on a large scale in the western Pacific airspace, in the beginning of December. A large fleet of fighter planes and helicopters had participated in the military drills. That time also, the Chinese fighter planes had stepped in the airspace of the Japanese islands ‘Okinawa’.
This military exercise was organised in between Japan and the US islands Guam in the western Pacific Ocean. The western media has claimed that this air exercise, as well as the ‘Liaoning’ battleship drill, are aimed at issuing a stern warning to the US and Japan by China.
The aircraft carrier ‘Liaoning’ is being seen as a leading battleship of the Chinese battle front in the ‘South China Sea‘. The Chinese Army had indicated some weeks back that after subjecting to tests in advancing stages, the aircraft carrier ‘Liaoning’ shall be deployed in the ‘South China Sea’ in 2017. The Chinese Navy has also declared that their battleship is ready for naval combat.
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