Taipei: A Chinese aircraft carrier group led by the vessel Shandong sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, Taiwan’s defense ministry said, amid rising military tensions over the island Beijing claims as its territory.
The ministry said the Shandong, which was commissioned in 2019, had sailed in a southerly direction through the western part of the strait, and that it had dispatched “appropriate forces” to monitor Chinese activities.
The aircraft carrier took part in Chinese military exercises around Taiwan in April, which were underway in the western Pacific. In March last year, it passed through the Taiwan Strait, just hours before talks between the leaders of China and the US were to take place.
China, which has never shied away from using force to bring Taiwan under its control, has stepped up military activities near the democratically-ruled island to force it to acknowledge Chinese sovereignty.
Taiwan strongly opposes Beijing’s sovereignty claims and has vowed to defend itself if attacked.
(Reporting by Yimou Li and Ben Blanchard; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Disclaimer: This report is generated automatically from Reuters news service. ThePrint is not responsible for its content.
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