The crossing of a US-designated island chain in the Western Pacific by a Chinese carrier group marks an increase in Beijing’s “operational tempo” that the Philippines should pay heed to, observers say.
They warn, however, that a “delicate balance” should still be maintained to avoid any escalation amid calls for vigilance.
Regional governments such as Japan and Taiwan have advised increased caution, and a former official in the Joe Biden administration has suggested formalising the so-called Squad bloc of nations meant to counter Chinese assertiveness.
Earlier this week, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) Navy dispatched two aircraft carriers to conduct operations beyond the “first island chain”. This series of land masses, part of a US containment strategy to deter Chinese military presence, stretches from Japan’s Okinawa to Taiwan and the Philippines.
The carriers were deployed to test capabilities in “far seas defence”, PLA Navy spokesman Senior Captain Wang Xuemeng confirmed on Tuesday as the Chinese continued to share photos online of aircraft carriers Liaoning and Shandong.
Wang said the routine training was organised “in accordance with the annual plan” and the deployments were in compliance “with relevant international laws and practices and not directed against any specific country or target”.
