Three Chinese military vessels, including Shandong’s aircraft carrier, crossed the Taiwan Strait on Saturday. That says the Ministry of Defense in Taipei.
China considers Taiwan a renegade province and reports Chinese military ships in the strait almost daily, but the presence of an aircraft carrier is unusual.
“A fleet of the People’s Liberation Army (as the Chinese army is officially known, ed.) consisting of three ships, including the aircraft carrier Shandong, crossed the Taiwan Strait around noon today,” the Taiwanese defence ministry said in a statement on Saturday. The ships would move west of the median line between China and Taiwan. Beijing does not recognize that invisible border.
Taiwan’s military forces are monitoring the movements of the Chinese fleet and have instructed their patrol aircraft, naval vessels and missile systems to “respond to these activities,” it said.
Relations between China and Taiwan are currently at an all-time low. However, US President Joe Biden has said that should China go so far as to attack or invade Taiwan, the United States will rescue Taipei.