A flotilla led by China’s first aircraft carrier set out from the port city of Qingdao on Sunday for what the military called « a routine training mission, «
A flotilla led by China’s first aircraft carrier set out from the port city of Qingdao on Sunday for what the military called “a routine training mission, ” the country’s Defense Ministry said after a report emerged that the vessel will also make an unprecedented port call to Hong Kong early next month.
The ministry said that the flotilla, led by the Liaoning carrier, includes the destroyers Jinan and Yinchuan, the frigate Yantai and a squadron of J-15 fighter jets and helicopters.
It said the training mission, “like previous ones, is expected to strengthen coordination among the vessels and improve the skills of crews and pilots.”
On Friday, the South China Morning Post, citing unidentified sources, said the Liaoning — a refitted former Soviet-era vessel that China acquired from Ukraine in 1998 — will visit Hong Kong early next month for the 20th anniversary of its handover to Chinese rule from Britain.
“The People’s Liberation Army is to make its most visible appearance in Hong Kong in 20 years, marking the handover anniversary with an unprecedented port call by its first aircraft carrier, ” the report said.
