In June, China’s two aircraft carriers appeared near Guam, drawing praise from Chinese media, which claimed the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy had broken through the U.S.-led Second Island Chain meant to contain China’s maritime reach. The following is an excerpt from one such article:
“For decades, the United States and Japan believed they could confine the PLA Navy to nearshore waters by relying on the First and Second Island Chains.
“That belief was decisively shattered in June 2025. The Liaoning and Shandong aircraft carriers not only broke through the Second Island Chain, but also outmaneuvered the U.S.-Japan surveillance network using a ‘disappear-and-reappear’ tactic.
“Initially, Japan’s Ministry of Defense detected only the Liaoning passing through the Miyako Strait and assumed it was a routine operation. A week later, however, the Liaoning unexpectedly rendezvoused with the Shandong near Minamitorishima (Marcus Island), accompanied by the Type 055 destroyer Wuxi and the supply ship No. 903. Together, they formed a powerful strike group composed of two carriers and two large destroyers.
“Guam – widely regarded as the U.S. military’s ‘unsinkable aircraft carrier’ in the Pacific and home to B-2 bombers and nuclear submarines – is a key stronghold anchoring the Second Island Chain. The Liaoning’s maneuvers demonstrated that this once-assumed “safe zone” is now within reach of Chinese naval power. The Type 055 destroyer, equipped with YJ-21 hypersonic missiles, places Guam squarely within striking range. Meanwhile, takeoff and landing drills by Chinese carrier-based aircraft were interpreted by Japanese media as simulated strikes on Andersen Air Force Base.
“Even more critically, Guam is essentially a remote island. If blockaded by a carrier strike group, the aircraft, submarines, and thousands of U.S. troops stationed there would be completely cut off and left without support.
“It is now clear that China’s strategy is not to compete in aircraft carrier numbers, but to use mobility to neutralize the advantage of fixed U.S. bases. While the U.S. Navy has 11 carriers globally, they are dispersed worldwide. China, currently with just three carriers (Liaoning, Shandong, and Fujian), is able to concentrate its forces in key maritime zones, creating localized superiority.”
Source: Net Ease, June 14, 2025
https://www.163.com/dy/article/K1PP7UUQ0543UXIM.html