Navy confirms presence of Chinese aircraft carrier off Babuyan Island

The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong (CV-17) was tracked about 2.23 nautical miles southwest of Babuyan Island on April 22, 2025. (Photo courtesy of Philippine Navy)

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine Navy has monitored the presence of the Chinese aircraft carrier CNS Shandong (17) and another People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy vessel in the Philippine Sea in the northern part of the country.

Navy spokesperson Capt. John Percie Alcos confirmed this in an interview with reporters on Thursday, when asked about a report released by the United States Naval Institute (USNI).

“The Philippine Navy, through its intelligence surveillance reconnaissance capabilities, monitored 2 PLA Navy ships off our Northern coasts last April 22, 2025,” Alcos said.

“To be exact, around 9 am. We monitored the aircraft carrier Shandong (CV 17). She was detected around 2.23 nautical miles southwest of the Babuyan Islands. On the same day, around noon, Type 815A Chinese electronic surveillance ship (AGI-797) was also monitored underway approximately 33.11 nautical miles northwest of Dalupiri Island,” he added.

According to the USNI report, the aircraft carrier was dispatched for the second time this month.

For this deployment, the report revealed that Shandong “is operating closer to the Philippines” with “a Japan Joint Staff Office (JSO) map showing the carrier around 200 nautical miles east of the northeast tip of the Philippine main island of Luzon.”