China has confirmed the deployment of its Shandong aircraft carrier group near Taiwan as part of a broad military exercise involving air, naval, ground, and missile forces, according to a statement released by the Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China.
The Chinese military said the carrier strike group, led by the CNS Shandong, carried out assault drills in waters east of Taiwan. The operation included vessel-aircraft coordination, regional air dominance maneuvers, and simulated strikes against maritime and land-based targets.
In a statement, Senior Colonel Shi Yi, spokesperson for the PLA Eastern Theater Command, said, “Under orders by his command, the Shandong strike group cooperated with other naval and air units to carry out exercises of vessel-aircraft coordination, regional air dominance, and strikes against land and sea targets.” He added that the purpose of the operation was “to examine the troops’ capabilities of joint operations inside and outside the island chain, multi-dimensional blockade and control, and inter-service operations.”
The drills come amid ongoing tension in the Taiwan Strait and broader Indo-Pacific region. The Shandong, China’s second aircraft carrier and the first built entirely in-country, is operated by the PLA Navy’s South Sea Fleet. It remains the largest active warship in any Asian navy and a central piece of Beijing’s maritime strategy.
Military analysts note that operations of this scale are intended not only to refine the PLA’s multi-branch coordination, but also to signal Beijing’s readiness to operate in extended maritime zones beyond the First Island Chain. The presence of the Shandong in such drills highlights China’s continued investment in carrier-led projection capabilities as part of its long-term regional strategy.