China's Liaoning aircraft carrier returns through Miyako Strait after month-long drill

China's aircraft carrier Liaoning, accompanied by two missile destroyers, has returned to the East China Sea after a nearly month-long training deployment in the Western Pacific. The Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force monitored the fleet, including the Liaoning (hull number 16), a Type 055 destroyer (hull number 104), and a Type 052D destroyer (hull number 124), as they transited the Miyako Strait on June 20.

The passage through the strait, located between Okinawa and Miyako Island, marks the near completion of the carrier group's extended sea training. Japan's Self-Defense Forces dispatched the destroyer 'Asahi' and P-3C anti-submarine patrol aircraft to maintain vigilance and gather intelligence on the Chinese naval movements.

According to Japanese defense ministry data, this fleet is the same one observed in the Western Pacific since late May. The Liaoning group was tracked operating east of the Philippines, conducting intensive flight operations with its carrier-based aircraft. Between May 26 and May 28 alone, the Liaoning reportedly executed approximately 170 takeoffs and landings of fighter jets and helicopters.

However, the specific activities and movements of the Liaoning group between May 28 and June 19 remain outside the publicly disclosed scope of the Japanese defense ministry's monitoring. Former Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani had previously expressed concern, noting the Liaoning's persistent presence in the Philippine Sea as evidence of China's growing aircraft carrier operational capacity and its development of long-range maritime and air joint warfare capabilities.