Japan’s Defense Ministry has raised concerns that two Chinese aircraft carriers recently spotted in the western Pacific may have conducted drills aimed at countering U.S. forces in the event of a Taiwan crisis. The Liaoning and Shandong were both observed operating near the Ogasawara island chain, within Japan’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ), marking a notable expansion in Chinese naval activity near Japanese waters, reads a Japan News post.
The Liaoning, for the first time, sailed across the so-called second island chain—which stretches from the Ogasawara Islands to the U.S. territory of Guam—and passed through the EEZ around Minamitorishima on June 7. Military analysts view this maneuver as a possible simulation of U.S. carrier interdiction in a Taiwan contingency scenario.
According to defense officials, one of the carriers may have played the role of a mock U.S. vessel while the other practiced interception, suggesting a coordinated training operation. The Shandong conducted similar operations near Okinotorishima on June 9, launching and recovering aircraft during the exercise.
Tensions escalated when a Chinese fighter jet based on one of the carriers flew unusually close to a Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) surveillance aircraft. Observers believe China may have been attempting to enforce an informal air defense perimeter around its carrier fleet.
The exercises follow a separate incident in late May, when a Chinese marine research vessel operated within Japan’s EEZ without permission near Okinotorishima. Japan lodged a protest, but China dismissed the complaint, claiming the area does not qualify as an EEZ due to its classification of Okinotorishima as “rocks,” not an island.
Officials in Tokyo are also investigating potential links between China's military maneuvers and its resource interests. The seabed near Minamitorishima is believed to hold valuable minerals such as manganese nodules. China has secured exploration rights in adjacent international waters and plans test mining under the International Seabed Authority.
In response to these developments, Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani stated that Japan will take all necessary steps for surveillance and deterrence. “We will proceed with a detailed analysis of the latest movements of Chinese aircraft carriers,” Nakatani said at a press briefing on Friday.
The dual presence of Chinese flattops so close to Japan underscores rising regional tensions and signals China’s intent to expand its operational reach, particularly as the risk of a Taiwan conflict looms larger in Indo-Pacific security calculations.
Bd-pratidin English/ Jisan