The aircraft carrier Liaoning battle group steam on the sea. The aircraft carrier Liaoning (Hull 16), several guided-missile destroyers, frigates and dozens of aircraft attached to the Navy of the Chinese People's Liberation Army took part in a combat exercise at an unidentified area east of the Bashi Channel in the western Pacific on Apr. 20, 2018. The exercise was a routine arrangement as a part of the PLA Navy's annual training plan. (eng.chinamil.com.cn/Photo by Zhang Lei)

The Japanese defense ministry claimed on Sunday that China's Liaoning aircraft carrier formation headed northeast after sailing through the Miyako Strait. A Chinese expert said on Monday that the Chinese aircraft carrier took a new path, but it is normal and legitimate, and that training in new locations can further boost its capabilities in the far seas.

According to a map released by the Japanese defense ministry's joint staff that depicted the Japanese side's spotting of the Liaoning aircraft carrier formation over the past few days, after sailing through the Miyako Strait on Saturday, the Liaoning moved toward northeast on Sunday. 

The Japanese side believes that Chinese carrier formation consisted of the aircraft carrier Liaoning (Hull 16), the Type 055 large destroyer Nanchang (Hull 101) and two Type 052D destroyers with hull numbers 117 and 124, according to the release, which was in waters some 190 kilometers east of Kikaijima island by Sunday, further heading eastward.

The Japanese side also claimed it confirmed around 50 aircraft sorties from the Liaoning on Saturday and another around 50 on Sunday.

Zhang Junshe, a Chinese military affairs expert, told the Global Times on Monday that Chinese aircraft carriers have mostly trained in the southern and western part of the West Pacific in the past, and the path the Liaoning has taken this time is a new one. But it is completely normal and legitimate for the Liaoning carrier formation to also train in the northern part of it. It complies with the international law.

By heading northeast and reaching locations the carrier has not been to before, the Liaoning can become familiar with local sea region, including temperature, weather and hydrologic conditions, Zhang said, noting that this can boost the aircraft carrier's capabilities in the far seas.

Japan's spotting of the Liaoning aircraft carrier group heading northeast came after consecutive hypes by Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi and Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi on Sunday that the carrier-based aircraft of China's Liaoning formation directed radar at Japan Air Self-Defense Force fighter jets in open waters southeast of Okinawa Island.

In response to the Japanese hypes, Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson Zhang Xiaogang said on Sunday that China's Liaoning aircraft carrier formation conducted far seas training in the waters east of the Miyako Strait, which is in line with international law and international practices. However, Japan maliciously tracked and harassed Chinese activities, repeatedly dispatched aircraft to intrude into the training area designated and announced by the Chinese side, and afterward smeared China's normal operations. This is purely a case of the thief crying "stop thief" and falsely accusing others of one's own misdeeds. He noted that "We express strong dissatisfaction with and firm opposition to Japan's provocative acts and misleading public opinion."

"Japan has intensified its reckless and provocative acts in the military and security fields. What exactly is it up to? The whole world knows," the Chinese Defense Ministry spokesperson said. He noted that if Japan insists on rewalking the evil path of militarism, it will surely plunge itself into an abyss of eternal perdition. "We urge Japan to earnestly recognize the situation, sincerely reflect on and correct its mistakes, completely abandon any malicious intentions, and refrain from going further down the path of opposing the Chinese people and the international community."

It is clear to all with sensible minds it is completely ill-intentioned for Japanese side to deliberately disseminate and hype the misinformation in the field of military security, building up tensions at this time, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said on Monday, commenting on question concerning the Japanese side's claim of Chinese Navy carrier-based aircraft conducting "radar illumination" on Japanese SDF fighter jets.

Guo stated at the Monday press conference that China has stated its serious position on the issue. The facts are very clear, he said. Chinese side's conduct of exercises and training activities in the relevant sea and airspace fully conforms to international law and international practice, with all operations being professional and standard, and beyond reproach. It is a common practice of all countries for carrier-borne aircraft to turn on their search radars during flight training, which is also a normal operation to ensure flight safety.

Guo stated that the key to the incident lies in that Japanese fighter jets unauthorizedly intruded into the Chinese side's exercise and training area, conducted close-in reconnaissance and interference with Chinese military activities, and then played the victim by hyping up the so-called "radar illumination" issue, confusing right and wrong, shifting the blame onto others, and misleading international public opinion. China is strongly dissatisfied with and firmly opposed to this, and has lodged serious representations and strong protest with the Japanese side.

We strongly urge the Japanese side to immediately stop its dangerous moves of harassing China's normal military exercise and training, and stop all irresponsible disinformation, the spokesperson said.