A carrier strike group led by the CNS Shandong aircraft carrier conducted assault drills in waters to the east of Taiwan Island, according to a spokesman.

Senior Colonel Shi Yi of the PLA Eastern Theater Command said in a statement that under orders by his command, the Shandong strike group cooperated with other naval and air units to carry out exercises of vessel-aircraft coordination, regional air dominance, and strikes against land and sea targets.

The operation is intended to examine the troops' capabilities of joint operations inside and outside the island chain, multi-dimensional blockade and control, and inter-service operations, he said.

The Shandong — China's second aircraft carrier and the first wholly designed and built in the country — is operated by the South Sea Fleet and is currently the largest operating naval ship in any Asian navy.