The Liaoning and its escorting vessels have been conducting drills in the West Pacific since mid-December, when Japan announced its new security strategy that named China as an unprecedented “strategic challenge.”
The Japanese Ministry of Defense’s Joint Staff Office said in a statement on Wednesday that during ten days from Dec. 17 to Dec. 27, Chinese carrier-based aircraft conducted a total of about 260 take-offs and landings, prompting Japan to scramble military aircraft and vessels.
The Chinese fleet, consisting of the Liaoning, one Type 055 large missile destroyer and a number of other vessels, was sailing near the remote Okinawa Prefecture islands of Okidaito and Kitadaito, but also near Okinotorishima, the southernmost part of Japan.
The statement said on Dec. 25 the Liaoning was spotted 670 kilometers (416 miles) southeast of Okinotorishima, about 618 km (384 miles) northwest of Guam, before returning to the waters between Taiwan and Japan.
Guam is home to two key U.S. military bases hosting strategic bombers and submarines.
By approaching Guam, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) has extended its reach well beyond the so-called First Island Chain onto the Second Island Chain.
The First Island Chain is a chain of main archipelagos surrounding the East Asian continental mainland, including Japan and Taiwan.
The Liaoning’s operation “showed that the Chinese carrier is ready to defend the country against potential U.S. attacks launched from there, including military interference attempts over the Taiwan question,” said the Global Times, a sister publication of the Chinese Communist Party’s mouthpiece People’s Daily.
“The U.S. is building a group of military bases in Guam, Japan and Australia targeting China, with Guam being a core forward operating base featuring all types of military services,” it quoted Chinese military analysts as saying, adding that Guam is considered “an important node in the Second Island Chain that is designed to contain China.”
Seriously, not trying to make light of one thing, but CCP must not have anything better to do than constantly cause drama; Doesn't it seem like one huge provocation to finally snare the USA once and for all? USA acts/seems like a wounded eagle, an eagle that once soared above looking down observing everything strategically; upon finding the weaknesses to pounce on regardless of ramifications to strategy deployed, actions would prove successful once implemented though, right?
ReplyDeleteChina got a foothold with trade, jobs, infiltration into corporations/government/airports etc., reputed stolen intellectual properties, and now wants Islands, South China Sea, blah, blah!
IMO, we opened the Pandora's box when we dealt business with a communist country to such the degree we have, now how to put back this annoyance? IMO, there is an answer, hasn't Military War Planner's figured it out yet?
Oh, depends how deep into America the China Rabbit-hole goes, right? Speaking for many out here, everyone is sick of China's nonsense especially the Covid aspect still not answered for as far as anyone knows, right? Yet, we have our own backyard to clean up too, whose in bed with China from our own Government? Yes, most of their people in China are great, but Government influences are concerning as now are ours, what a Sh@t Show, IMO! What about everyone goes back to their corners, seek peace, think of all that is good, the world needs gifts of miracles! We don't even know if all reputed is happening, same zig-zag nonsense occurring like it's normal for Foreign Countries to play games, right? What if someone just bites back surprisingly, is the game over then?