China’s Carrier Shandong Arrives in Hong Kong for Five-Day Public Visit

China’s first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, sailed into Hong Kong on 3 July, leading a formation that includes the guided-missile destroyers Yan’an and Zhanjiang and the frigate Yuncheng. The five-day port call, approved by the Central Military Commission, will run through 7 July and features open-day visits and cultural exchanges. The carrier anchored on the western edge of Victoria Harbour while its escorts berthed at the PLA garrison’s Stonecutters Island base.

The visit marks the first appearance by a Chinese aircraft carrier in Hong Kong since the Liaoning’s stop in 2017 and coincides with the city’s 28th handover anniversary. Authorities said more than 700 sailors lined the flight deck to form the Chinese characters for “secure country, sweet home”, and public tickets for onboard tours scheduled for 5–6 July were snapped up within minutes.

Shandong’s arrival follows a month-long deployment in which it and the carrier Liaoning conducted China’s first known dual-carrier exercises in the Western Pacific, a move analysts view as demonstrating the navy’s expanding operational reach. The carrier’s high-profile Hong Kong call underscores Beijing’s effort to showcase its growing maritime capabilities to domestic and regional audiences.