A Chinese aircraft carrier crossed the Taiwan Strait: Taipei
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control. (To file)
Taipei:
The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong crossed the Taiwan Strait on Saturday accompanied by two other ships, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said, during the latest rise in military tensions on the island which Beijing claims as its own territory.
The ministry said the Shandong, commissioned in 2019, sailed north around noon through the strait keeping to its center line, which serves as an unofficial barrier between the two shores.
The Taiwanese military closely monitored the group using its own ships and aircraft and “responded appropriately”, the ministry said in a brief statement.
China’s Defense Ministry did not respond to calls seeking comment, and the country’s armed forces made no mention of the browsing on their official social media.
Shandong took part in Chinese military exercises around Taiwan last month, operating in the Western Pacific.
In March last year, Shandong crossed the Taiwan Strait, just hours before the Chinese and US presidents were to meet.
China has continued its smaller-scale military activities around Taiwan after officially ending its war games last month.
On Saturday, Taiwan’s Defense Ministry also said in the past 24 hours that eight Chinese warplanes crossed the center line of the strait, something Chinese warplanes have been doing regularly since the first war games last August. .
China has never renounced the use of force to bring Taiwan under its control.
Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen’s government strongly disputes Beijing’s sovereignty claims and says only the people of the island can decide their future.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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