Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning’s visit prompts no-fly zone, online ticket quests in Hong Kong

Source says no-fly zone set up above carrier and restricted zone created in waters around docking place

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Jets on the deck of the aircraft carrier Liaoning. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 9:02am, 6 Jul 2017Updated: 3:07pm, 6 Jul 2017

Air and sea security zones will be set up when China’s aircraft carrier Liaoning docks in Hong Kong for its five-day visit starting on Friday, the Post has learned.

The Liaoning and its three accompanying warships are expected to enter Hong Kong waters from the south at about 7am Friday. The carrier will dock in the western anchorage area about 1km south of Tsing Yi and the other vessels at the People’s Liberation Army’s naval base at Stonecutters Island.

Several marine police launches were set to patrol around the Liaoning and turn away unauthorised vessels. Photo: Reuters

A government source with knowledge of the security arrangements said there would be a no-fly zone above the carrier and a restricted zone in the waters around its docking place. Several marine police launches would patrol around the Liaoning and turn away unauthorised vessels, the source said.

A welcoming ceremony was to be held at the Stonecutters Island base on Friday, while executive councillors and local delegates to the National People’s Congress were among the guests invited to attend a cocktail party on board the carrier on Friday evening.