TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A military analyst created an infographic to present the approximate location and types of ships deployed by China's navy during an "unprecendently large carrier group" that operated to the east of Taiwan last week.

On Sept. 11, the Ministry of National Defense (MND) said a naval formation led by the Shandong had passed 60 nautical miles (111 km) southeast of Eluanbi, before heading to the east into the western Pacific to carry out air training. That same morning, Japan’s Ministry of Defense reported that eight PLAN ships had passed through the Miyako Strait on their way to the Philippine Sea.

USNI News reported that "It is likely several, if not all, of the PLAN ships that transited the Miyako Strait on Monday, will link up with the carrier." China's Global Times on Tuesday cited a Beijing-based military expert as saying, "If the eight vessels from the East China Sea join forces with the carrier group in the West Pacific, they could form an unprecedently large carrier group consisting of more than a dozen warships."

The Ministry of National Defense (MND) on Sept. 12 said that it had detected 22 Chinese military aircraft and 20 naval vessels around Taiwan between 6 a.m. Monday (Sept. 11) and 6 a.m. Tuesday. The 20 People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) ships were the most tracked around Taiwan in a single day to date, reported RTI.

On Friday (Sept. 15), Vietnamese journalist Duan Dong cited Japan’s Ministry of Defense as saying the Shandong carrier strike group had reentered the South China Sea through the Luzon Strait. An additional five PLAN vessels had also reportedly returned to the East China Sea by way of the Miyako Strait.

Duan said that it, "Looks like China has wrapped up its major naval exercises in the Philippine Sea."

Also on Friday, Damien Symon, an open-source intelligence researcher, uploaded an infographic on Twitter showing ships that had been identified as taking part in exercises in the Pacific Ocean while the Shandong carrier group was present last week. Symon's map presented the Shandong carrier group, which along with the Shandong included a Renhai-class missile destroyer, a Luyang III-class missile destroyer, a Jiangkai II-class frigate, and a Type 901 fast combat support ship.

Also displayed in the graphic are several other Chinese naval vessels that were detected in the vicinity of the Shandong as it operated to the east of Taiwan. This included four Luyang II-class missile destroyers, three Jiangkai II-class frigates, two Sovermenny-class missile destroyers, one Luyang II-class missile destroyer, and one Fuchi Class supply ship.

Symon said that although the event was short in duration, it constituted a "major exercise" given reports that over 20 PLAN ships took part.

The Shandong carrier strike group is back in South China Sea via Luzon Strait, per Japan's defense ministry. Another 5 warships have returned to East China Sea through Miyako Strait. Looks like China has wrapped up its major naval exercises in the Philippine Sea. pic.twitter.com/d321jzFAri

— Duan Dang (@duandang) September 15, 2023

Here is quick infographic of #China's recent carrier exercise into the Pacific Ocean, while the event seems to have been short, reports suggest over 20 PLAN vessels trained in waters between Taiwan, the Philippines & Guam (USA) - making this a major exercise pic.twitter.com/MlUPsPIFcv

— Damien Symon (@detresfa_) September 15, 2023