The People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy's Liaoning aircraft carrier formation returned safely to its homeport in Qingdao on June 22 after successfully concluding a 40-day, realistic blue-water training mission. Spanning the South China Sea and the Western Pacific, the deployment focused on rigorous combat-scenario testing, significantly enhancing the fleet's operational readiness and mission capabilities.

During the mission, Japanese vessels and aircraft repeatedly shadowed and monitored the Chinese fleet at close range. Maintaining a state of high alert throughout, the Liaoning aircraft carrier formation responded with professional and measured countermeasures to defuse the risks.