Chinese Carrier Liaoning Returns to Port After Over 40 Days of Drills

The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning, accompanied by its escort vessels, returned to a Chinese port on Monday after conducting over 40 days of military exercises in the South China Sea and the western Pacific Ocean, according to China's state-run CCTV as reported by Reuters.

CCTV detailed that the drills focused on combat readiness, including air defense, anti-ship attacks, support missions, long-range rescue operations, and live-fire exercises.

The carrier group carried out multiple offensive and defensive training rounds and also conducted joint exercises with an amphibious assault ship group in the western Pacific to enhance coordination in distant maritime operations.

The television report stated that during the drills, the Liaoning carrier group responded with professionalism and prudence to what it described as repeated close-range surveillance, harassment, and provocations by Japanese ships and aircraft.

These exercises form part of the annual training program of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, aiming to test the joint combat capabilities of the forces and to strengthen their readiness to defend national sovereignty, security, and developmental interests.