The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Navy aircraft carrier Shandong left the South China Sea for the first time and is currently 370 kilometers east of southern Taiwan. This is reported by the Taiwanese newspaper Liberty Times.
“This is the first time an aircraft carrier has left the South China Sea, according to current estimates, the (Taiwanese) military believe it could be part of the exercise, however, due to the sensitivity of the situation, the Department of Defense continues to establish its intentions,” the report said.
Taiwanese Defense Minister Qiu Guozheng said on April 5 that a Chinese aircraft carrier passed through the Luzon Strait, which connects the South China Sea to the Pacific Ocean, the day before, the newspaper noted. According to the minister, the ship is now 200 nautical miles east of Cape Eluanbi, which is the southernmost point of the island.
Earlier, China’s Maritime Security Administration in Fujian Province announced the start of a patrol operation in two areas of the Taiwan Strait. According to the media, the decision is linked to the upcoming meeting of the speaker of the House of Representatives of the United States of America, Kevin McCarthy, with the head of the Taiwanese administration, Tsai Ing-wen.
In addition, the Chinese Ministry of Defense has demanded that US authorities cease all official contact with Taiwan and interfere in Beijing’s internal affairs. Washington should stop emasculating the “one China principle” by developing relations with Taiwan, the country’s Defense Department added. China’s Foreign Ministry, in turn, said the Taiwan issue is the “first red line” that the United States of America cannot cross in its relations with China. The department noted that Beijing is ready to take decisive action in response to US actions.
Chinese navy aircraft carrier Shandong launches into the ocean, 370 km from Taiwan,
