118 CHA

In a demonstration of Beijing Military Powerthe Chinese Navy has first deployed its two Liaoning and Shandong carriers to perform joint exercises in the Pacific Ocean, beyond the Japanese island chain known as the first island chain. Japanese defense minister, Gen Nakatani, confirmed that Chinese ships were detected on Saturday in front of The island of Iwo Jima, about 1,200 kilometers south of Tokyolaunching and recovering fighters on the high seas. Japan has closely followed the operation, which is a strategic leap for the Asian country.

When navigating beyond Japan, Chinese warships are demonstrating that they could challenge not only Japan but also their greatest ally, the United States, for the control of the Western Pacific during a crisis, says The New York Times. If the United States displayed ships from Hawaii, the West Coast or even Guam, they would have to pass near those waters to reach Japan or Taiwan. China claims Taiwan, an autonomous island, as its own territory, but the United States has committed to help defend it.

“This clearly shows the China’s intention to expand its military capabilities beyond its traditional maritime borders”, Said Nakatani. For his part, Taiwan’s Minister of Defense, Wellington Koo, considered that Operation launches“ a political message ”about Beijing’s expansionist nature, crossing towards the second island chain, which extends to territories such as Guam, belonging to the United States.

The simultaneous deployment of these two Chinese aircrafts in the Western Pacific highlights the “expansionist” objectives of Beijing in the region, said Taiwanese Minister of Defense, Wellington Koo, in a context of growing Chinese naval activity around Taiwan. In a statement, Japan’s joint staff reported that, around 1:00 p.m. last Saturday, the aircraft carrier Shandong and his escort group sailed about 550 kilometers southeast of Miyako Island, in Okinawa Prefecture.

China, which described the maneuvers as “routine training” without specific objectives, He has been reinforcing his fleet to operate at a greater distance from his coast. It currently has three aircraft carriers: the Liaoning and the Shandong in Service, and the Fujian, in maritime tests. A fourth ship is under construction.

The simultaneous deployment of the two aircraft carriers beyond the Japanese chain implies a significant deterrence in case of a regional crisis. According to analysts, these maneuvers could challenge the presence of Japan and its main ally, the United States, in the Western Pacific. Any American deployment from Hawaii, the west coast or Guam to Japan or Taiwan would have to cross that area.

The huge waters of the Western Pacific Ocean have been considered for a long time as A weak point in Japan’s defense architecture, Although Minister Nakatani said that the Government, as part of its 2022 defense development program, is working to Deploy early alert and control mobile radars in the area to strengthen air defense capabilities in that area.

Despite naval advancethe operational capacity of Chinese aircrafts is still lower than that of eleven US nuclear attachments, which have a greater number of aircraft and combat autonomy. However, China’s progress has promoted a regional response: Japan is developing its first aircraft carriers since World War II, adapted to operate FATITIVES F-35B US.

Taiwan, which China considers part of its territory, has also intensified its military modernization. The Chief of the General Staff of his Air Force, Lee Ching-Jan, confirmed the This year delivers a dozen F-16V fighters, part of a request of 66 units to the US.with advanced systems to face the Chinese fighters J-20.

Since May, China has increased the presence of military and coastal ships in the waters of the East Asian, which has caused concern in several capitals of the region. The Japanese Ministry of Defense said that one of the Chinese aircraft carriers navigated within its exclusive economic zone near the island Minamitorishima.