China’s Liaoning Carrier Strike Group Concludes 40-day Deployment to South China, Philippine Seas

China’s Liaoning Carrier Strike Group returned Monday to its homeport of Qingdao, concluding a 40-day deployment to the South China Sea and Philippine Sea, the People’s Liberation Army Navy announced. “Back to Port: A Chinese PLA Navy’s task force led by aircraft carrier Liaoning (Hull 16) completed its 40-odd open-sea combat training in the South China Sea and the Western Pacific Ocean, and returned to home port in east China’s Qingdao city on Monday,” reads an announcement on the PLA’s official social media China Military Bugle. The Liaoning CSG deployed May 19 to the Philippine Sea following a stint of