520 Landings, Takeoffs Conducted at Chinese Flattops in Pacific

   Tokyo, June 18 (Jiji Press)--Fighter jets and helicopters based on the Chinese aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong conducted 520 landings and takeoffs over the nine days to Monday, the Defense Ministry has said.
   Of the two flattops recently found operating in the Pacific simultaneously for the first time, the Liaoning launched and landed aircraft about 290 times from June 8 while heading southwest from a point about 650 kilometers southeast of Ioto, widely known as Iwo Jima, part of Japan's Ogasawara island chain.
   About 230 such operations were conducted by aircraft based on the Shandong from June 9 while the vessel sailed clockwise around Okinotorishima, also in the Ogasawara chain, from a point about 430 km north of the island.
   The ministry announced the Chinese activities Tuesday.
   On June 7 and later, the two aircraft carriers were spotted operating together in the Pacific near the so-called second island chain, which connects the Ogasawara chain and the U.S. territory of Guam. Beijing is said to think that the second island chain would be a defense line in the event of a Taiwan contingency.

(2025/06/18-09:57)