The PLAN Plans For a SINKEX

China dangled its oldest carrier northeast and east of Taiwan. Which is useful training for its wartime role of distracting the United States Navy.

The PLAN headed to sea: 

The People’s Liberation Army Navy Liaoning Carrier Strike Group was operating in the Philippine Sea as of Wednesday, according to a Japan Joint Staff Office. 

Led by aircraft carrier CNS Liaoning (16), the strike group was spotted 155 miles south of Japan’s Ishigaki Island launching and recovering aircraft. The strike group includes Liaoning, cruisers CNS Anshan (103) and CNS Wuxi (104) and destroyer CNS Huainen (123). 

The location is interesting, as this map by Japan's Joint Staff Office tracked:

My view is that the old Soviet carrier that the Chinese used to begin their carrier development is best suited to distract the United States Navy which may take the time to smash the task force while China uses that time to get ashore in strength on Taiwan.

NOTE: TDR Winter War of 2022 coverage continues here.

NOTE: You may also like to read my posts on Substack, at The Dignified Rant: Evolved. Go ahead and subscribe to it. It's the right thing to do!

NOTE: Images from the article.