In sending two aircraft carriers to the western Pacific concurrently for the first time, Beijing is learning to coordinate the vessels in open ocean, a tactic it would likely use to deter US forces in a Taiwan conflict, according to defence analysts.
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The two carriers – the Liaoning and Shandong – were spotted in the waters, having entered the western Pacific via separate courses over the past two weeks.
They are believed to have practised dispersing, concentrating and communicating in the complex high-seas area.
By Friday, Chinese military authorities had not yet declared an end to the exercise.
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China says Fujian carrier is world’s largest conventionally powered warship
China says Fujian carrier is world’s largest conventionally powered warship
The operation is the first time a Chinese carrier has crossed the strategic second island chain. Stretching from Japan through Guam to Papua New Guinea, the second island chain is a notional defensive perimeter for the United States and its allies to contain China during potential conflicts.
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