China Says Holds First Dual Aircraft Carrier Drills in South China Sea

On Wednesday, March 5, 2025, China announced a 7.2% increase in its 2025 national defense budget, bringing total military spending to $249 billion.
The Chinese PLA Navy dual carrier armada, the Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers. Image via the People's Liberation Army.

China has conducted its first military drills with its two operational aircraft carriers in the contested South China Sea, state media said Thursday.

State media did not specify when the exercises with the Liaoning and Shandong vessels took place, though it said the broader naval mission had overlapped with public holidays from late September to October.

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by Agence France-Presse

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