PLA Navy Drills Near Japan: Hype or Hidden Threat?

The Chinese newspaper article, published by Global Times and PLA Daily, asserts that recent drills by the PLA Navy’s aircraft carrier Liaoning in the East China Sea were normal, routine, and not aimed at any specific target, while criticizing Japanese media for “hyping” the activities.

Fact-Check Summary:

PLA Naval Drills – A Verifiable Event

The drills conducted by Liaoning and a fleet of PLA Navy warships were confirmed by Japan’s Ministry of Defense, which tracked five Chinese warships 200 km north of Huangwei Yu, near the disputed Senkaku Islands (referred to by China as Diaoyu Dao). These reports were corroborated by satellite data and open-source defense intelligence, suggesting that damage control drills and aircraft operations did indeed take place.

Conclusion: The drills occurred. This part of the report is factually accurate.

Framing the Drills as “Routine”

The article repeatedly emphasizes that the drills are “routine,” “normal,” and not aimed at any specific target, despite:

• The sensitive location near the East China Sea, a hotspot of maritime tension between China and Japan.

• The timing, which coincided with the increased U.S.-Japan naval cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.

This framing minimizes the strategic message such drills carry, especially given the aircraft launch operations near contested zones. The repetition of words like “routine” and “normal” is a classic framing strategy used in state media to reduce perceived threat levels while conducting assertive military activities.

Conclusion: Framing tactic to downplay geopolitical signaling.

Diaoyu Dao Territorial Claim – Misleading Propaganda

The article states:

“Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands have always been China’s territory.”

This statement is factually inaccurate and is a standard nationalist propaganda line. In reality:

• The islands are administered by Japan and known as the Senkaku Islands internationally.

• China disputes the sovereignty but does not control the territory.

• The U.S. recognizes Japanese administrative control under the Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security.

This line misleads readers into believing a settled sovereignty, which is false according to international diplomatic standings.

Conclusion: Propagandistic falsehood aimed at reinforcing internal nationalism and external assertiveness.

Vilification of Japan – Externalizing Criticism

The article claims:

“Japanese media hyped the Liaoning’s recent activities… Japan does not need to make a fuss… everything will naturally fall into place.”

This line presents Japan’s security concerns as irrational or exaggerated. Instead of engaging with the legitimacy of regional concerns (shared by the U.S., Taiwan, and Southeast Asian nations), the article:

• Dismisses criticism of China’s increased maritime presence.

• Shifts the blame to Japan for heightening tensions.

This is a textbook deflection strategy, creating a “us vs. them” dichotomy, painting Japan as an aggressor and China as merely “training.”

Conclusion: Propaganda element used to discredit foreign narratives and justify PLA expansion.

Narrative Reinforcement via Expert Voices

The article repeatedly cites Chinese military experts like Wang Yunfei and Song Zhongping, who:

• Emphasize the routine nature of drills.

• State that such operations will increase with time and are non-threatening.

These voices serve not as independent analysts, but as narrative amplifiers for the state’s messaging. Their inclusion gives the article a pseudo-objective façade, a common agenda-setting technique in state propaganda.

Propaganda Techniques Identified