US and China’s Aircraft Carriers Show Force in Contested Waters

By Ryan Chan

The United States and China have deployed aircraft carriers in the South China Sea—where the sovereignty claims of several countries overlap—as they compete for naval dominance.USS George Washington was patrolling the U.S. Seventh Fleet’s area of operations—which refers to the western Pacific and Indian Oceans—with a strike group, the U.S. Navy said.Meanwhile, CNS Shandong and three other Chinese warships were visiting Hong Kong—a special administrative region of China located in the northern part of the South China Sea.Why It MattersThe Chinese navy—the world’s largest by hull count—is expanding China’s military presence beyond its surrounding waters, including through the deployment of two aircraft carriers—the Shandong and CNS Liaoning—in the broader western Pacific in June.The U.S. Navy operates the largest fleet of aircraft carriers in the world, with 11 vessels in service. The U.S. military regularly conducts operations in the South China Sea—where China’s territorial claims cover most of the waters—to assert freedom of navigation.What To KnowPhotos released by the U.S. Navy show the George Washington conducting flight operations with its aircraft in the South China Sea on Tuesday. The aircraft carrier—homeported in Japan—was operating near Japan’s southwestern islands in the Philippine Sea the previous day.According to Philippine media, the U.S. aircraft carrier was operating in the West Philippine Sea—a geographic term used by the Philippines to refer to the portion of the South China Sea that lies within the Southeast Asian country’s 230-mile-wide exclusive economic zone.The George Washington is the second U.S. aircraft carrier to operate in the South China Sea in recent months, following its sister ship, USS Nimitz, which conducted “maritime security operations” in the region in early June before being redeployed toward the Middle East.While the George Washington was sailing near the Philippines, a Chinese naval group led by the Shandong arrived in Hong Kong on Thursday for a five-day visit. Several fighter jets and helicopters were seen parked on the flight deck as the Shandong sailed into the city’s harbor.The Chinese aircraft carrier’s visit comes as Hong Kong—a former British colony—marks the 28th anniversary of its return to China. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee described the Chinese naval visit as “particularly inspiring.”It was not immediately clear whether the Shandong would conduct any operations in the South China Sea following its visit. The aircraft carrier is homeported in Sanya, on China’s southern island of Hainan—also located in the northern part of the South China Sea.What People Are SayingThe U.S. Navy said: “George Washington is the U.S. Navy’s premier forward-deployed aircraft carrier, a long-standing symbol of the United States’ commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, while operating alongside allies and partners across the U.S. Navy’s largest numbered fleet.”John Lee, the chief executive of Hong Kong, said at a welcoming ceremony on Thursday: “The visit of the Shandong warship formation to Hong Kong will allow Hong Kong citizens to experience first-hand the grandeur and sophistication of the country’s modern warships and better understand the achievements of national defense modernization.”What Happens NextIt remains to be seen how long the George Washington will remain deployed in the South China Sea. It is currently the only U.S. aircraft carrier positioned to help counter China.

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