The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Monday deployed the Liaoning aircraft carrier group with its troops of army, navy, air force and rocket force to conduct drills of vessel-aircraft cooperation, joint air control, and strike on maritime and ground targets in the waters and airspace to the east of Taiwan Island. 

Li Xi, spokesperson for the theater command, said the drill is to test the combat capabilities of integrated operations inside and outside the island chain by troops of multiple services.