Chinese aircraft carrier, other vessels pass through Okinawa islands

The Yomiuri Shimbun

2:00 JST, May 4, 2022

Eight Chinese naval vessels, including the aircraft carrier Liaoning and missile destroyers, passed between the Okinawa main island and Miyakojima island, and sailed toward the Pacific on Monday, according to the Defense Ministry.

These vessels did not enter Japan’s territorial waters, the ministry said.

Liaoning and five other vessels were seen by the Maritime Self-Defense Force around noon Sunday heading southward in waters about 350 kilometers west of the Danjogunto islands in Nagasaki Prefecture, the ministry said. Two other vessels later joined them.

The SDF said it also confirmed helicopters landing and taking off from the Liaoning carrier in the East China Sea.