As Hong Kong celebrates the 28th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule, Beijing has once again deployed a powerful naval fleet, this time spearheaded by the aircraft carrier Shandong, highlighting both symbolic significance and strategic resolve amid escalating geopolitical tensions. China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier and its fleet arrived in Hong Kong on…
As Hong Kong celebrates the 28th anniversary of its return to Chinese rule, Beijing has once again deployed a powerful naval fleet, this time spearheaded by the aircraft carrier Shandong, highlighting both symbolic significance and strategic resolve amid escalating geopolitical tensions. China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier and its fleet arrived in Hong Kong on…
The much-awaited visit of China’s first fully domestically built aircraft carrier kicked off yesterday with a great deal of public excitement – and symbolic significance. The arrival of the mighty Shandong and its accompanying strike group is not only a showcase of the country’s military prowess and naval modernisation, but also a timely opportunity for…
Almost a decade has passed since the People’s Liberation Army pulled the trigger on President Xi Jinping’s plans for a massive overhaul of the world’s biggest military. In the latest of a series on Chinese weapon systems, Seong Hyeon Choi looks at what China’s second aircraft carrier tells us about the PLA Navy’s blue water…
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong and its accompanying strike group entered Hong Kong waters on Thursday morning as part of a five-day…
This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. New users who download our updated app get a seven-day free trial. The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong and its accompanying strike group entered Hong Kong waters on Thursday morning as part of a five-day…
A senior Chinese official with a background in water resources and ethnic affairs has been named as the new Communist Party boss of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region. In a one-paragraph announcement on Tuesday, state news agency Xinhua said the party’s Central Committee “recently decided” that Chen Xiaojiang would serve as party secretary of Xinjiang. The…
A naval fleet led by the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong will arrive in Hong Kong next week for a five-day visit, with open tours and cultural exchanges among events to be held to improve residents’ understanding of the development of national defence. The Ministry of National Defence announced on Saturday that the fleet, which includes…
A naval fleet led by the Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong will arrive in Hong Kong next week for a five-day visit, with open tours and cultural exchanges among events to be held to improve residents’ understanding of the development of national defence. The Ministry of National Defence announced on Saturday that the fleet, which includes…