'We're watching you': US Navy warns China amid the rising tension
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The photo taken on Monday somewhere in the East China Sea showed the ship's captain, Commander Robert J Briggs, and his deputy Commander Richard D Slye watching the Liaoning, which was just a few thousand metres away.
The US military has engaged in a form of "cognitive warfare" following the recent encounter between its warships and the Chinese navy.
On Sunday, the US released a photo that showed one of its guided-missile destroyers, the USS Mustin, shadowing the Liaoning group - a move that analysts said was designed to send a clear message to the Chinese.
The photo taken on Monday somewhere in the East China Sea showed the ship's captain, Commander Robert J Briggs, and his deputy Commander Richard D Slye watching the Liaoning, which was just a few thousand metres away.
"In the photo, Commander Briggs looks very relaxed with his feet up watching the Liaoning ship just a few thousand yards away, while his deputy is also sitting beside him, showing they take their PLA counterparts lightly," said Lu Li-Shih, a former instructor at Taiwan's Naval Academy in Kaohsiung.
"This staged photograph is definitely 'cognitive warfare' to show the US doesn't regard the PLA as an immediate threat."
(With inputs from agencies)