The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong has made two rare transits north of the Philippines within the span of a week, in what analysts called a “show of force” as US and Philippine forces held joint drills in the area.
They said the Shandong’s passage through the Luzon Strait – a key naval choke point located between Taiwan and the Philippines – underscored Beijing’s resolve to break through the first island chain in the face of US containment efforts, notably through the deployment of anti-ship missiles during the joint exercise.
