China has deployed its Liaoning aircraft carrier southward in what analysts describe as a deliberate show of force, coinciding with the joint Philippines-U.S. Balikatan military exercises in the South China Sea region. The move is seen as a calculated signal from the People's Liberation Army (PLA) ahead of an anticipated summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The deployment underscores Beijing's intent to assert its regional military presence at a diplomatically sensitive moment.