China Sends Two Carriers Into Pacific in First-Ever Dual Deployment Near Japan

By Alastair Gale and Mari Kiyohara (Bloomberg) —

Japan said it observed two Chinese aircraft carriers and supporting warships operating simultaneously near remote Japanese islands in the Pacific Ocean for the first time, a new demonstration of Beijing’s advancing naval capabilities.

The aircraft carrier Shandong was seen sailing into the Pacific at the weekend and identified on Monday conducting fighter jet and helicopter take-off and landing training, according to Japan’s Joint Staff Office. That was occurring inside the exclusive economic zone around the Japanese atoll of Okinotori, around 1,740 km south of Tokyo, the office said.

On Saturday the carrier Liaoning was seen inside the EEZ of the uninhabited Japanese island of Minamitori, more than 1,800 km southeast of Tokyo, and remained in the region with other warships on Sunday, the Joint Staff Office said earlier.

“This is the first time we’ve identified two Chinese aircraft carriers operating in the Pacific Ocean at the same time,” Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said in a press conference on Tuesday, adding that Tokyo had lodged its concerns over the activity to Beijing.

While the two aircraft carriers don’t appear to have been operating together, such as by flying aircraft between their decks, their simultaneous presence represents a new level of naval power projection that comes as the US and its allies are seeking to counter Beijing’s military rise. 

“China is improving the capabilities of its two operational aircraft carriers further away from its shores and airspace,” Nakatani said. The development underscores the importance of Japan’s plans to install mobile radar warning systems to its islands in the Pacific, he said.

Nakatani also confirmed that the sighting of the Liaoning on Saturday was the first time a Chinese carrier had been seen 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 Ryukyu Islands and the Philippines, have been viewed as barriers to China’s unfettered access to the western Pacific Ocean. 

“China’s naval vessels’ activities in relevant waters are fully consistent with international law and international practices,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Tuesday. “China pursues a national defense policy that is defensive in nature.”

Yasuhiro Kawakami, a former Japanese naval officer, said China was likely testing the waters as it seeks to normalize its naval activity further away from its shores. By holding flight deck training from aircraft carriers inside the EEZs of Japanese islands it may be trying to test how Japan and the US will react, he said.

“This is the beginning of repeated operations within Japan’s EEZs, moving beyond the first island chain to establish a new fait accompli,” said Kawakami, now a senior research fellow at the Tokyo-based Sasakawa Peace Foundation.

Under international law, there is no ban on naval operations inside the EEZ of another country. The zones allow for sovereign rights over the exploitation of natural resources inside them.

According to Japan’s Joint Staff Office, the Shandong and Liaoning sailed with destroyers, frigates and other support ships. A third Chinese aircraft carrier, the Fujian, is currently undergoing sea trials before entering full service.

© 2025 Bloomberg L.P.

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