Chinese aircraft carrier seen operating deeper into Pacific

Alastair Gale, Bloomberg News on Jun 8, 2025

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

A Chinese aircraft carrier made one of its deepest forays into the Pacific Ocean over the weekend as Beijing continues to project its military power further from its shores.

The Liaoning and three other Chinese naval vessels were seen on Saturday around 185 miles southwest of the remote, uninhabited Japanese island of Minamitori, according to a statement from Japan’s Joint Chief of Staff.

Minamitori is more than 1,800 km southeast of Tokyo. The Chinese carrier was within the portion of Japan’s exclusive economic zone around the island.

A day later, Japan said it confirmed the takeoff and landing of fighter jets and helicopters from the deck of the carrier, an indication of exercises to test the ability of pilots and sailors to perform combat operations.

The sightings are likely the first time any of China’s three aircraft carriers have been observed operating east of the so-called second island chain, a string of islands that extends from Japan, through the Northern Mariana Islands and south to Guam.

The second chain and the first island chain, which is closer to China and includes Japan’s southern Ryuku Islands and the Philippines, limit China’s access to the western Pacific Ocean. U.S., Japanese and other military bases sit along both of the chains.

In the case of a conflict in the Western Pacific involving the U.S., such as a possible military engagement over Taiwan, China could be at risk from U.S. forces deployed from large American bases in Hawaii. The ability to operate east of the second chain could help China’s navy counter such deployments.

Neither the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command nor the Foreign Ministry in Beijing immediately responded to a request for comment.

The Liaoning, a rebuilt Russian vessel, is the oldest of China’s carriers. In recent days it has sailed with accompanying ships widely around the Western Pacific, including rare sightings to the east of the Philippines, according to Japan’s Joint Chief of Staff.

Wang Yunfei, a Chinese military affairs expert, told China’s state-run Global Times last week that the Liaoning was conducting normal training activities. Wang said Chinese carriers are expected to go further into deep ocean areas in the future, according to the report.