The Shandong's ongoing exercise is comparable with, if not surpassing, those previously done by the country's first carrier, the Liaoning, and showed its high level of operational capability, experts said on Tuesday. The second aircraft carrier of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy, the Shandong, is reportedly conducting intensive drills beyond the first island chain, reaching near Guam on the second island chain after completing Taiwan island encirclement drills last week. China's first domestically-made aircraft carrier Shandong (Hull 17) was officially commissioned to the PLA Navy at a military port in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province, on the afternoon of December 17, 2019, making China one of the few countries in the world that have multiple carriers. The picture shows aircraft carrier Shandong berths at a naval port in Sanya.

China's aircraft carrier Shandong holds intensive drills comparable with Liaoning in West Pacific By Liu Xuanzunĭefense reporter at the Global Times covering weapons and military development.Liu Xuanzun Published: 09:21 PM