South China Sea: PLA strike group holds live-fire drills after US warships enter region

Flotilla led by Chinese-made Shandong aircraft carrier performs ‘confrontational exercises’ as US Navy carries out training and anti-submarine activities

Defence experts say Beijing forced to be vigilant as Lunar New Year approaches because military tensions tend to escalate during festival periods

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The Shandong, China’s first homegrown aircraft carrier, and a Type 055 guided-missile destroyer take part in drills in the South China Sea. Photo: WeChat

Published: 7:02pm, 16 Jan 2023Updated: 7:32pm, 16 Jan 2023

A Chinese aircraft carrier strike group has conducted intensive live-fire drills in the South China Sea since the US Navy sent its USS Nimitz strike group to the area last week.

The flotilla is led by the Shandong, China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, and includes a Type 055 stealth guided-missile destroyer and three guided-missile destroyers.

The strike group began a series of confrontational drills in the South China Sea last week, the PLA Navy said on its WeChat account on Sunday.

Defence experts say that with Lunar New Year approaching, the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) is on high alert because the US and China have intensified military confrontations in the region during major festivals.

Loaded with dozens of J-15 fighter jets, the Shandong carrier took part in live-fire confrontational exercises, night take-off and landing, emergency response, joint operations between different vessels, damage control and other drills, the Chinese navy said.

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