HONG KONG — China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, sailed into Hong Kong on Thursday, anchoring in the city just days after celebrations marking 28 years of Chinese rule. The 300-meter (1,000-foot) vessel, commissioned in 2019, is a cornerstone of President Xi Jinping’s naval ambitions, signaling Beijing’s growing maritime influence in a region wary of its expanding military footprint.
Accompanied by the destroyer Zhanjiang and frigate Yuncheng, the Shandong’s five-day visit includes public tours and cultural exchange activities, according to a statement from Beijing. The flotilla was sighted early Thursday off Hong Kong’s southern coast, drawing attention from residents and onlookers. Tickets to tour the vessels were snatched up within minutes on the social media platform WeChat, reflecting public fascination with China’s naval prowess.
The Shandong, China’s second aircraft carrier, follows the Liaoning, a refurbished Soviet-era ship that visited Hong Kong in 2017. Both carriers feature a distinctive “ski jump” deck for aircraft takeoffs, a design rooted in Soviet engineering. The visit comes on the heels of combat drills in the western Pacific, where the Shandong and Liaoning operated together in a rare dual-carrier exercise, the first of its kind, according to Japanese authorities. The maneuvers underscore China’s push to enhance its ability to project power far from its shores.
“These exercises suggest both aircraft carriers are ready to engage in more sophisticated operations,” said Chong Ja Ian, a political scientist at the National University of Singapore. However, he noted that questions remain about the carriers’ operational endurance and long-term capabilities.
China’s naval expansion has been rapid. A December report from the U.S. Department of Defense noted that China commands the world’s largest navy by number, with over 370 ships and submarines. The Shandong’s recent activities, including drills simulating a “blockade” of Taiwan in April, have heightened regional concerns. The carrier was also reportedly present in Philippine waters during a joint U.S.-Philippines military exercise that same month, escalating tensions between Beijing and Manila.
As China’s third and more advanced carrier, the Fujian, undergoes sea trials, the Shandong’s Hong Kong visit serves as both a public relations gesture and a reminder of Beijing’s growing naval reach. For Hong Kong residents, the towering warship is a striking symbol of China’s military might, docked in a city navigating its complex identity under Beijing’s rule.
