Chinese Aircraft Carrier Shandong Arrives in Hong Kong

China's first domestically built aircraft carrier Shandong sails into Hong Kong waters on July 3, 2025. (Photo by Peter PARKS / AFP)

China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier sailed into Hong Kong on Thursday, just days after the city marked 28 years under Chinese rule.

Commissioned in 2019, the more than 300-metre (1,000-foot) Shandong is China’s second carrier and key to the country’s regional ambitions under President Xi Jinping, who oversaw a massive naval buildup that has rattled Asian neighbors.

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