China Reveals Encounter With Western Aircraft Carrier in Contested Waters

The Chinese military reported encountering a foreign aircraft carrier in the South China Sea, where the East Asian power maintains sweeping sovereignty claims over most of the waters.

Newsweek has contacted the Chinese Defense Ministry for further comment via email.

Why It Matters

China and neighboring countries—including the Philippines, a United States mutual defense treaty ally—are involved in ongoing territorial disputes over maritime features in the energy-rich South China Sea, often leading to standoffs and clashes between rival maritime forces.

Encounters between Chinese and foreign military aircraft and vessels are not uncommon as Beijing has accused foreign militaries of conducting "close-in" operations by approaching its territorial airspace and waters, both of which extend 13.8 miles from the country's coastline.

What To Know

The Chinese military—officially known as the People's Liberation Army (PLA)—published a news story on Thursday about flight operations aboard the aircraft carrier CNS Shandong.

While the article focused on the Shandong's fighter jets launching from and landing on the flight deck, it also said that during an unspecified summer in the South China Sea, a foreign aircraft carrier was spotted approaching the Shandong and its naval task group.

It further said that the unidentified foreign aircraft carrier frequently launched aircraft that flew toward the Chinese carrier at high speed, prompting the Shandong to enter what it described as "combat status" and launch J-15 fighter jets armed with weapons in response.

According to the article, the Chinese fighter aircraft "successfully drove away" the foreign aircraft after dogfighting—a term that refers to close-range maneuvers between two aircraft.

This was the second encounter between Chinese and foreign aircraft carriers publicized by China this year. In April, Chinese media aired footage showing a J-15 fighter jet flying close to a fighter aircraft that appears to be an F/A-18, operated by the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier fleet.

In early July, both the U.S. and China deployed aircraft carriers in the South China Sea—USS George Washington and the Shandong, respectively. The former was operating in the Timor Sea, north of Australia, as of Tuesday, according to photos released by the U.S. Navy.

Open-source satellite imagery spotted the Shandong at its home port on China's southern island of Hainan—north of the South China Sea—on Thursday. The warship was one of two Chinese aircraft carriers simultaneously deployed in the broader western Pacific in June.

What People Are Saying

The U.S. Pacific Fleet told Newsweek in April: "We don't have a comment on specific operations, engagements, or training, but we routinely operate in the vicinity of foreign aircraft and ships in international waters and airspace in the Indo-Pacific."

Mao Ning, a spokesperson for China's Foreign Ministry, said in May 2023: "[T]he U.S. side has frequently sent aircraft and vessels to conduct close-in reconnaissance on China, seriously threatening China's sovereignty and security. Such provocative and dangerous moves are the root cause for maritime security issues."

What Happens Next

It is likely that close encounters between Chinese and foreign forces—particularly those of the U.S.—will continue as both sides maintain their presence in the western Pacific.