China Flattop Conducts Apparent Drill after Passing Okinawa

Tokyo, Oct. 14 (Jiji Press)--Chinese fighter jets took off from and landed at the country's Liaoning aircraft carrier Wednesday after the vessel sailed between the main island of Japan's southernmost prefecture of Okinawa and Okinawa's Miyako Island, the Japanese Defense Ministry's Joint Staff said.

The Chinese navy said earlier on Wednesday that the Liaoning has headed for the western Pacific for routine drills based on an annual training program.

According to the Joint Staff, the Liaoning and three other Chinese warships sailed southeast between Okinawa's main island and Miyako Island on Wednesday.

Later, Chinese fighters took off from and landed at the Liaoning while the aircraft carrier was in an area about 250 kilometers south of Ishigaki Island, part of Okinawa.

In response, a destroyer and patrol planes of Japan's Maritime Self-Defense Force were mobilized for surveillance operations. In addition, the Air SDF scrambled its fighter jets.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]