HONG KONG — China’s first domestically-built aircraft carrier led a naval fleet into Hong Kong waters this week in a show of national pride that underlined Beijing’s growing military force and ambitions.
Shandong, escorted by three other homemade warships, kicked off a five-day stop in the semi-autonomous Chinese territory on Thursday. Shandong is named after the eastern coastal province where the country’s first aircraft carrier is based, according to the state-run newspaper People’s Daily.
Commissioned in 2019, the carrier is China’s first warship fully built and designed in the country. Its flight deck is about the size of two standard soccer pitches, and it is as tall as a 20-story building.
With a displacement of over 60,000 tons, Shandong can carry dozens of carrier-based fighter jets and various types of helicopters.
China has the one of the world’s largest navies with an active-duty force of 300,000 personnel, according to a 2023 report affiliated with the country’s Ministry of Veteran Affairs.
Hong Kong leader John Lee hailed the “historic” and “inspiring” visit of the aircraft carrier as the city marked the fifth anniversary of a Beijing-imposed national security law, which came amid a deep crackdown on pro-democracy protesters.
Speaking at a welcoming ceremony, Lee said the visit demonstrated that national security is “rock-solid.”
The warships “fully demonstrate to the outside world” the achievement of the Chinese military, said Col. Zhang Junshe, a senior colonel for the People’s Liberation Army Navy.
The display showcased China’s combat readiness and will “naturally deter some forces with ulterior motives,” Zhang told state-backed nationalist tabloid Global Times.
The U.S. and its allies have grown increasingly worried about China’s territorial disputes with neighbors, including sovereignty claims over the self-governing island of Taiwan and conflicts with the Philippines in the South China Sea.
Last week, Army Gen. Ronald P. Clark, commander of U.S. Army Pacific, warned that China was developing military technologies and capabilities at a pace and scale never before seen.
The visit, which runs through Monday, is the first time China opens up the Shandong to the public.
