China’s Liaoning carrier heads to the Pacific as US, Japan prepare for missile drills
Timing of PLA naval training in western Pacific could overlap with expanded Keen Sword exercise near Taiwan involving 57,000 troops
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy was organising the drill for the Liaoning formation in “relevant waters” of the western Pacific Ocean as part of its annual training plan, China’s defence ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.
While it did not disclose the exact location of the Liaoning’s training, the statement said it was aimed at “testing and improving the troops’ combat-oriented training level” and complied with international law and practice, targeting no specific country or objective.
Even though the Chinese statement did not specify how long the Liaoning's drill would take, Chinese aircraft carrier trainings generally last weeks.
