Chinese aircraft carrier the Liaoning back home after being shadowed by Japanese warship during drills

Chinese strike group has spent 20 days conducting combat training in the Yellow and East China seas and the western Pacific, PLA Daily says

Navy and state broadcaster release images and footage of Japan’s Izumo aircraft carrier and a Japanese fighter jet close by

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A Chinese J-15 fighter jet takes off from the Liaoning during combat training. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 8:07pm, 31 Dec 2021Updated: 9:54pm, 31 Dec 2021

Chinese aircraft carrier the Liaoning returned to its home port of Qingdao on Thursday after 20 days of training in the region, with the navy and state media saying it had been closely shadowed by a Japanese warship at one stage.

The Liaoning and five other warships carried out combat exercises in the Yellow and East China seas and the western Pacific Ocean, military mouthpiece PLA Daily reported on Friday.

The People’s Liberation Army drills began on December 9 and included fighter jet landings and maritime search and rescue in the Yellow Sea, and tactical flights of carrier-based J-15 fighter jets in the western Pacific.

PLA Daily said the strike group had been monitored and shadowed by foreign warships and aircraft but did not give further details, saying only that the Chinese navy handled the situation “cautiously and effectively”.

However, the Chinese navy and state broadcaster CCTV released images and footage on Friday showing the Japanese aircraft carrier Izumo sailing close to the Liaoning.

State television aired footage showing a Japanese F-15J fighter jet from the perspective of a Chinese J-15. Photo: CCTV

On its WeChat social media account, the PLA Navy posted a photo of the two warships in close proximity, without giving details of the location. Another photo – apparently taken from the Izumo and released by the Japan Self-Defence Forces – showed a J-15 fighter jet taking off from the Liaoning while a helicopter acted as a plane guard.

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