China carrier drills in Pacific as US, Japan conduct missile exercises

Key facts

• China's Liaoning aircraft carrier began western Pacific drills on Wednesday.
• The drills are likely to coincide with expanded US-Japan military exercises.
• The PLA Eastern Theater Command dispatched the 133rd naval task group into the Western Pacific.
• Japan is participating in the US-Philippines Balikatan exercise with an unprecedented level of participation.
• China's Foreign Ministry called Japanese naval vessels entering the Taiwan Strait a provocative act.

China's Liaoning aircraft carrier began its second training drill in the western Pacific this year on Wednesday, a move that is likely to coincide with expanded US-Japan military exercises. The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy is organizing the drill for the Liaoning formation in "relevant waters" of the western Pacific Ocean as part of its annual training plan, China’s defense ministry said.

Analysts suggest these maneuvers are more than routine, pointing to a broader strategic design to signal resolve to Japan, counter the Philippines-U.S. Balikatan exercise, and shape the military balance ahead of potential high-level diplomacy with Washington. The Balikatan exercise, which began on April 20, features an unprecedented level of participation by Japan, including its first operational role and a live-fire sinking exercise with Type 88 anti-ship missiles. This participation signals the capacity of the US, Japan, and the Philippines to interdict or blockade the Bashi Channel.

Earlier, a Japanese destroyer transited the Taiwan Strait, an action Beijing viewed as a provocation. The PLA Eastern Theater Command also dispatched the 133rd naval task group through the Yokoate Channel into the Western Pacific for training. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun stated that the Taiwan issue is a non-negotiable "red line" and criticized Japan's actions as compounding earlier mistakes. State media outlet Xinhua also published commentary accusing Japan of deliberate provocation by choosing a date historically associated with national humiliation in China.