China deploys Liaoning near Taiwan Strait, tensions with Japan rise

Beijing: On Monday, the Chinese Navy deployed the aircraft carrier *Liaoning* into the Taiwan Strait. This marks the first instance since the beginning of this year that a Chinese aircraft carrier has transited through this waterway. China's deployment comes shortly after a Japanese aircraft carrier passed through the Taiwan Strait. This move could heighten maritime tensions between Japan and China; relations between the two nations are already passing through a strained phase. This standoff in the Taiwan Strait is unfolding at a time when Iran and the United States are locked in a confrontation in the Strait of Hormuz.

According to *Military Watch Magazine*, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) deployed its aircraft carrier *Liaoning* to transit the Taiwan Strait on April 20. This deployment serves as a direct response to an action taken by the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF), which had deployed its *Murasame*-class destroyer, the JS *Ikazuchi*, to transit the same strait on April 17.

China-Japan Tensions

China had previously expressed outrage over Japan's deployment of the JS *Ikazuchi*, labeling it a deliberate act of provocation. In the wake of that incident, China has now deployed its own warship. These two deployments underscore the escalating tensions between Tokyo and Beijing. Last November, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi threatened to intervene militarily in the event of a Chinese attack on Taiwan.

China's *Liaoning* is one of three aircraft carriers currently in active service with the People's Liberation Army Navy. Last December, it was deployed near Kubashima Island, located to the west of Okinawa. At the time, this deployment was perceived as a direct response to a statement made by Takaichi. This move heightened tensions between the two sides—tensions that have persisted ever since.

Tensions Surged Last Year

Late last year, on December 6—during the operational deployment of the *Liaoning*—a Chinese J-15 fighter jet "locked onto" (targeted) a Japanese F-15 fighter jet with its radar over international waters southeast of Okinawa Island. The Japanese military leadership was alarmed by the outcome of two separate skirmishes that took place that day between Chinese J-15B and Japanese F-15 fighter jets.

In recent times, the capabilities of the *Liaoning*—and that of its sister ship, the *Shandong*—have undergone significant enhancements. These improvements have been made possible through the integration of new J-15B "4+ generation" fighter jets, along with supporting J-15D electronic attack jets, into the air wings of these carriers.

China Aircraft Carrier

Since 2022, the aircraft carriers *Liaoning* and *Shandong* have been deployed on multiple occasions to demonstrate their military might. The *Liaoning*, *Shandong*, and China's newest aircraft carrier, the *Fujian*, are widely regarded as the most capable aircraft carriers in the world outside of the U.S. Navy.