China deploys aircraft carrier off philippine coast amid tensions over south china sea

China deploys aircraft carrier off philippine coast amid tensions over south china sea

China has deployed its second aircraft carrier, Shandong, which was recently observed patrolling waters near the Philippine coast. This comes as Manila intensifies efforts to assert its territorial claims over a disputed shoal in the South China Sea, against Beijing's counterclaims.

Shandong, with a displacement of around 70,000 tonnes, appears to be a deterrence against 'continuous Philippine provocations' on Chinese islands and reefs in the region, according to state-run Global Times.

The carrier's deployment is part of a scheduled exercise, potentially preparing it for a voyage into the West Pacific, Chinese experts noted.

The deployment of Shandong follows the deployment of major surface combat ships by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the South China Sea. This includes large and medium destroyers and a main amphibious landing ship, amid escalating maritime territorial conflicts with Manila.

Ni Lexiong, a defense professor at Shanghai University of Political Science and Law, remarked that Shandong's passage acts as a deterrent to both Manila and Washington, emphasising 'China's determination to protect territorial sea sovereignty' amid tensions over the Second Thomas Shoal.

‘Once we see massive military force, that means that Beijing is preparing for a war,’ said Chester Cabalza, president and founder of International Development and Security Cooperation, a Manila-based think tank. He described the carrier's patrol as an example of 'performative politics' by Beijing.

The recent China-Philippines confrontation marks a violent turn over their territorial claims in the South China Sea. Last month, naval ships from both nations collided, the first incident following China's new rules against foreign vessels. These new regulations allow for the detainment of foreigners ‘suspected of violating’ Chinese waters.

The conflict included the collision of a Philippines naval ship and a Chinese vessel near the Second Thomas Shoal. Over recent months, navies and coast guards from both countries have faced off as the Philippines, with backing from the US, attempts to assert its claims over the contested area.

China asserts claims over most of the South China Sea, a stance that is disputed by the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, and Taiwan. China alleges that the Philippines deliberately ran a naval ship aground at the Second Thomas Shoal in 1999, converting the damaged ship into a permanent installation manned by naval personnel.

The Philippines, supported by the US, contests the area based on a 2016 ruling by a tribunal of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which endorsed its rights. However, China, which boycotted the tribunal, has rejected its findings and insists on its claims.

In line with its strategy, China has recently enacted a new law that authorizes its coast guard to seize foreign ships that enter China's territorial waters illegally, with the power to detain foreign crews for up to 60 days. The law also permits the use of force against foreign vessels if deemed necessary.

In response, the US has deployed mid-range Typhon missile systems in the Philippines, showing its support for Manila’s territorial claims. Furthermore, the Philippines has imported BrahMos missiles from India.

China currently possesses two aircraft carriers: Liaoning, a refit of a Soviet-era ship, and Shandong, an indigenously built carrier commissioned in 2019. Fujian, China's third aircraft carrier, is now undergoing trials and has a displacement of 80,000 tonnes.

According to media reports, Fujian is China's 'first fully domestically developed and constructed' aircraft carrier equipped with an electromagnetic aircraft launch system (EMALS) akin to the American USS Gerald R. Ford. Unlike Liaoning and Shandong, which have ski-jump take-off ramps, Fujian features a flat-top flight deck.

China's aircraft carriers are equipped with indigenously built J-15 aircraft.