- Japan tracked the Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning and three missile destroyers as they sailed between Okinawa and Miyako Island into the Pacific on December 6.
- Carrier-based aircraft from Liaoning conducted flight operations while the strike group sailed near Okidaitō Island.
Japan’s Ministry of Defense reported new Chinese naval movements near Okinawa and the Miyako Strait, confirming that multiple People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships—including the aircraft carrier Liaoning (16) —operated close to Japan’s southwestern islands between December 5 and December 6.
According to the ministry, at approximately 2:00 p.m. on December 5, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) identified the Kuznetsov-class aircraft carrier Liaoning (Hull No. 16) sailing in waters roughly 420 kilometers north of Kuba Island in Okinawa Prefecture. The next morning, around 7:00 a.m., four PLAN vessels—the Liaoning, a Renhai-class missile destroyer (Hull No. 101), and two Luyang III-class missile destroyers (Hull Nos. 117 and 124)—moved southeast between Okinawa’s main island and Miyako Island, heading into the Pacific.
The Ministry of Defense confirmed that later on December 6, the same group was observed sailing about 270 kilometers west of Okidaitō Island. During that period, carrier-based fighters and helicopters launched and recovered from the Liaoning, indicating active flight operations while the strike group advanced deeper into the Pacific.
To monitor the movements, the JMSDF deployed the destroyer Teruzuki of the 6th Escort Division, along with P-1 maritime patrol aircraft from Atsugi and P-3C aircraft from Naha. The Japan Air Self-Defense Force scrambled fighters in response to the carrier flight operations as part of routine airspace security measures.
In a separate development, at around 3:00 p.m. on December 5, the JMSDF also confirmed a different PLAN surface group traveling northwest approximately 120 kilometers east of Miyako Island. This second group consisted of a Renhai-class missile destroyer (Hull No. 103), a Jiangkai II-class frigate (Hull No. 547), and a Fuchi-class replenishment ship (Hull No. 902). These vessels subsequently sailed northwest between Okinawa and Miyako Island toward the East China Sea.
The Ministry of Defense noted that these ships were the same vessels observed earlier transiting eastbound through the Osumi Strait on November 11. JMSDF units—including the replenishment ship Hamana of the 1st Replenishment Squadron and P-3C aircraft from Naha—conducted surveillance and intelligence collection to maintain situational awareness.
The map released by Japan shows the movements of both PLAN groups through strategically important waters connecting the East China Sea and the Pacific—routes frequently used by Chinese naval forces for training and long-range deployments.