The picture shows aircraft carrier Shandong berths at a naval port in Sanya. China's first domestically-made aircraft carrier Shandong (Hull 17) was officially commissioned to the PLA Navy at a military port in Sanya, South China's Hainan Province, on the afternoon of December 17, 2019, making China one of the few countries in the world that have multiple carriers. Photo:China Military

Ahead of the 12th anniversary of the commissioning of China's first aircraft carrier, which falls on Wednesday, all three Chinese aircraft carriers reportedly carried out exercises or tests over the past week.

Observers said on Monday that China's aircraft carrier program has entered a fast lane.

Based on an annual training schedule, the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy recently organized the Liaoning aircraft carrier group to conduct routine exercises in waters including the West Pacific, with the goal of enhancing combat capabilities, Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson of the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, announced on Thursday.

According to a press releases by Japan's Defense Ministry Joint Staff, the Liaoning carrier group was spotted sailing in waters near Diaoyu Dao and transiting through waters between Yonaguni and Iriomote islands, entering the Pacific Ocean on Wednesday, before hosting takeoffs and landings of fighter jets and helicopters in waters to the southeast of Miyako Island on Friday.

The voyage came shortly after a documentary, aired by state broadcaster China Central Television (CCTV), unveiled that a new type of warplane was tested earlier this year on the Liaoning.

The Liaoning is China's first aircraft carrier, commissioned on September 25, 2012.

China's second aircraft carrier, the Shandong, recently hosted a certification test for nighttime operation for a group of new fighter jet pilots during a combat exercise in the South China Sea, CCTV reported on Thursday.

The move further enhanced the PLA Navy aviation force's round-the-clock, all-domain combat capabilities, as more fighter jet pilots are qualified to operate on aircraft carriers, CCTV said.

China's third aircraft carrier, the Fujian, was put to sea for the fourth time on September 3 to conduct a new round of sea trials, US media Newsweek reported, citing photos circulating online and a maritime safety notice announcing a traffic restriction due to activities of a large ship in the Yangtze River estuary.

As a general pattern, aircraft carriers spend one-third of their time under maintenance, one-third of their time in training, and one-third of their time in deployment, so having three or more carriers would mean always having at least one carrier group ready for a mission, a Chinese military expert who requested anonymity told the Global Times on Monday.

China is making steady but fast progress in its aircraft carrier program, including building more carriers with higher capabilities, developing more types of advanced aircraft, training more pilots and conducting more far seas drills, observers said.