US Aircraft Carrier USS George Washington Counters China Navy Presence
Nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS George Washington is on patrol in the western Pacific, where China has been expanding its naval presence.
Newsweek has contacted the Chinese defense and foreign ministries for comment by email.
The George Washington is one of the U.S. Navy vessels homeported in Japan. The aircraft carrier, which is equipped with F-35C stealth fighter jets, returned to Yokosuka naval base near Tokyo in November 2024 after undergoing maintenance and upgrades in Virginia.
The George Washington's first patrol since returning to Japan comes as two Chinese aircraft carriers were deployed simultaneously to the wider western Pacific for the first time earlier in June, marking a major milestone in China's efforts to challenge U.S. naval dominance.
Another U.S. aircraft carrier, USS Nimitz, has been redeployed to the Middle East from the western Pacific amid the ongoing Iran-Israel conflict. This leaves the George Washington as the only U.S. aircraft carrier currently positioned to help keep China in check as of Monday.
Officially released photos show the George Washington and its carrier strike group transiting the Philippine Sea on Monday. The U.S. Navy said the aircraft carrier is currently on patrol in the Seventh Fleet's operating area, which covers the western Pacific and Indian Oceans.
The Philippine Sea lies east of the First Island Chain-a defensive line formed by Japan, Taiwan and the Philippines as part of a U.S. containment strategy aimed at restricting the Chinese navy-the world's largest by hull count-in the western Pacific in the event of war.
In addition to the George Washington, which left its home port on June 10, the carrier strike group includes two other warships-the cruiser USS Robert Smalls and the destroyer USS Shoup.
It remains unclear whether the George Washington will also be sent to the Middle East, should the situation there worsen. The Nimitz is expected to relieve its sister ship, USS Carl Vinson, in the region, allowing the latter to return home, U.S. Naval Institute News reported.
The Chinese aircraft carriers CNS Liaoning and CNS Shandong remained underway in waters east of the Philippines as of Monday, each leading a naval task group and transiting westward, according to a map provided by Japan's Defense Ministry.
The U.S. Navy said on Tuesday: "George Washington is the U.S. Navy's premier forward-deployed aircraft carrier, a long-standing symbol of the United States' commitment to maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, while operating alongside allies and partners across the U.S. Navy's largest numbered fleet."
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth's said at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on May 31: "China seeks to become a hegemonic power in Asia. No doubt. It hopes to dominate and control too many parts of this vibrant and vital region. Through its massive military build-up and growing willingness to use military force to achieve its goals…China has demonstrated that it wants to fundamentally alter the region's status quo."
It remains to be seen whether USS America-a U.S. amphibious assault ship equipped with F-35B stealth fighter jets-will depart the South Pacific for the western Pacific to reinforce the U.S. naval presence in the region following the Nimitz's departure.
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Even with permits coming online, rare-earth materials are still scarce because overseas shipments were halted for two months starting in April, depleting inventories. Trump's agreement 'will allow for rare earths to flow out of the country for a short period of time, but it's not helping the auto industry because they're still talking shutdowns,' Hammer said. 'Nobody trusts that this thaw is going to last.' For many automakers, the situation remains unpredictable – forcing some to hunt for alternatives to Chinese supplies. Two days after Trump touted a finalized trade accord in London, Ford Motor Co. Chief Executive Officer Jim Farley described a 'day-to-day' dynamic around rare-earths licenses – which have already forced the company to temporarily shutter one plant. General Motors Co. has emphasized it's on firmer footing in the longer term, because it invested in domestic magnet making back in 2021. The automaker has an exclusive deal to get the products from MP Materials Corp. in Texas, with production starting later in the year. It has another deal with eVAC of Germany to get magnets from a South Carolina plant starting in 2026. In the meantime, GM and its suppliers have applied for permits to get magnets from China, a person familiar with the matter said. Scott Keogh, the CEO of Scout Motors — the upstart EV brand of Volkswagen AG — told Bloomberg Television his company is re—engineering brakes and drive units to reduce the need for rare earths. Scout is building a plant in South Carolina to make fully electric and hybrid SUVs as well as trucks starting in 2027. Until the rare-earth supply line is re-opened to Washington's satisfaction, Trump has indicated that the US is likely to keep in place its own export restrictions. Senior US officials have suggested the curbs are about building and using leverage, rather than their official justification: national security. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said the measures were used to 'annoy' China into complying with a deal US negotiators thought they'd already reached. Restrictions on sales to China of electronic design automation software for chipmaking are emblematic of the standoff. Those EDA tools are used to design everything, from the highest-end processors for the likes of Nvidia Corp. and Apple Inc. to simple parts, such as power-regulation components. Fully limiting China's access to the best software, made by a trio of Western firms, has been a longtime priority in some Washington national security circles — and would build on years of US measures targeting China's semiconductor prowess. While some senior Trump officials specifically indicated the administration would relax some semiconductor-related curbs if Beijing relents on rare earths, EDA companies still lack details on when, and whether, their China access will be restored, said industry officials who requested anonymity to speak candidly. Even if that happens, there's worry that heightened geopolitical risks will push Chinese customers to hunt for other suppliers or further develop domestic capabilities. 'The risk is there for the London deal to fall apart,' said Alicia Garcia Herrero, chief economist for Asia Pacific at Natixis. 'Because rare earths is a very granular issue and mistakes can be made.' --With assistance from Jennifer A. Dlouhy, David Welch, Lucille Liu, James Mayger, Jing Li, Joe Ryan and Nicholas Lua. 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