link : China's aircraft carrier sails by Taiwan as tensions grow
China's aircraft carrier sails by Taiwan as tensions grow
China's sole operational aircraft carrier passed through the Taiwan Strait Wednesday, the island's defence ministry said, as Beijing steps up pressure on its democratic rival.
It comes weeks after Taiwan's President Tsai Ing-wen warned against what she called China's "military expansion" -- the increase of air and naval drills around the island since she came to power in May 2016.
Beijing views the self-ruling island as part of its territory, to be reunified at some point.
Cross-strait relations have become increasingly frosty as Tsai refuses to acknowledge Taiwan is part of "one China".
The aircraft carrier -- a second-hand Soviet ship -- caused a stir in Taiwan when it first entered the strait in January last year, viewed as a symbolic show of strength by Beijing.
The defence ministry said the Liaoning carrier and accompanying vessels entered Taiwan's air defence zone early Wednesday morning and left by noon.
The fleet, which earlier this month had sailed south through the strait that separates Taiwan and China, was seen again heading north, it said.
As in the past two crossings, the ship did not enter Taiwanese waters, the ministry added.
"The military conducted surveillance and took responsive measures during the whole process," the ministry said in a statement.
"There were no unusual activities during the time the fleet passed through the Taiwan Strait. We urge people not to worry," it added.
Built nearly 30 years ago, the carrier was commissioned in 2012 after extensive refits.
According to Taiwan's defence ministry, Chinese warplanes conducted 25 drills around Taiwan between August 2016 and mid-December last year.
The latest Liaoning appearance also comes after tensions were further fuelled by China starting new flight routes in the Taiwan Strait without consulting Taiwan.
Taipei questioned the move as politically motivated and called it reckless, saying it threatened the island's security and could compromise flight safety.
Key moments in year one of the Trump presidencyWashington (AFP) Jan 15, 2018
Here is a look at several key moments in the first year of Donald Trump's turbulent presidency: - Travel ban: the legal saga - Out of the blue, one week after taking office, Trump decreed a 90-day ban on arrivals of people from seven Muslim majority countries and a 120-day ban on all refugee arrivals. Chaos broke out at US airports, with travelers detained upon arrival, and Americans ... read more
Related Links
Learn about the Superpowers of the 21st Century at SpaceWar.com
Learn about nuclear weapons doctrine and defense at SpaceWar.com
| Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution. |
||
| SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Oncecredit card or paypal |
 |
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthlypaypal only |
from Military Space News, Nuclear Weapons, Missile Defense http://ift.tt/2EOWqBG
via space News
thus Article China's aircraft carrier sails by Taiwan as tensions grow
You now read the article China's aircraft carrier sails by Taiwan as tensions growwith the link address https://uswordarmy.blogspot.com/2018/01/chinas-aircraft-carrier-sails-by-taiwan.html
0 Response to "China's aircraft carrier sails by Taiwan as tensions grow"
Post a Comment