Chinese aircraft carrier the Liaoning had a surprising run along the Taiwan Strait late on Thursday night, Taiwan’s defense officials said, noting that the warship skimmed off the center line of the strait while en route to Guangdong for R&R – rest and recreation – for its crew before further drills in the South China Sea.
The carrier sailed from its home port of Qingdao in northern China’s Shandong province at noon on Thursday, following a large exercise right after the New Year that involved other combat ships, including at least two 052C-class guided-missile destroyers.
Taiwan rushed to scramble reconnaissance planes to monitor the Liaoning at dusk yesterday, bracing for any potential emergency that could arise from the approaching Chinese carrier.
It was feared that the 61,000-ton vessel, and its squadron of J-15 shipborne fighters, would cut across the Miyako Strait northeast of Taiwan and head south by the island’s east coast, before looping round the island’s southern sea border to flaunt the prowess of the Chinese military to contain and recapture the breakaway province – as it did a little over a year ago.
But that didn’t happen. Taiwan heaved a sigh of relief as the Liaoning passed through the Taiwan Strait, a waterway that is 130 kilometers wide at its narrowest, following a route west of the center line between the mainland and the island.
Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said any ships that veer past the center line and enter Taiwan’s territorial waters will be monitored and intercepted if they fail to comply with warnings against the incursion.
Meanwhile, Chinese deputy foreign minister Liu Zhenmin said in a conference on Friday that the Taiwan Strait belongs to both sides and that the Liaoning’s passage didn’t represent any change to Beijing’s policies.
The last time the Liaoning was seen in the Strait was last July when a strike group with a frigate and two destroyers cruised north, after attending celebrations to mark the 20th anniversary of Hong Kong’s handover to China.
J-15 fighters reportedly had multiple takeoffs from the carrier while in the sensitive waters.
Taiwan lodged a complaint, which Beijing dismissed, that the strike group penetrated its sea defense zone.
The Liaoning’s maiden blue-water journey on Christmas Eve in 2016, after years’ of retrofitting by the Chinese military, culminated in a high-profile voyage around Taiwan that unnerved citizens on the island.
NORTH AN SOUTH ARE SAME FAMILY NEVER TRY TO DESTROY A FAMILY .
NO LET THEM ENTER ISOLATION CAUSES PROBLEMS
if u try to seperate asia people in these times you will be there enemy remember these countries are growing an are proud let them unite
you are right
UNCLE SAM YOU DID WELL WE SALUTE YOU>THANKS FOR STANDING UP FOR FREEDOM I WILL STAND BY YOU TO THE END EVEN THOUGH I KNOW YOUR TIME HAS REACHED TO FALL> YOUR BIGGEST MISTAKE IS YOU CANNOT CHANGE PEOPLE AN CONTRIES YOU CAN ONLY CHANGE YOUR SELF.YOU SHOULD HAVE CONCENTRATE THAT HELP IN YOUR BACK YARD CENTRAL AN SOUTH AMERICA LOOK WHATS HAPPENING IN VENEZUEALA .RONALD REAGAN WAS RIGHT OUR BACK YARD NEEDS CLEANING UP AN PUT IN ORDER .YOU CANNOT CHANGE ARABS JEWS OR ASIATIC PEOPLE THEY WILL TAKE YOUR HELP AN GO BACK TO THERE WAYS THE AMERICAS NEED U THE UNITED STATES ARE THE CAPITAL OF THE AMERICAS CENTAL AN SOUTH AMERICAs ,,,,,,,CLEAN YOUR BACK YARD THE LATINO PEOPLE STILL RESPECT YOU COZ WE ARE PART OFF DONT LOSE US TOO
rome has fallen the moors islamic conquest has fallen spain has fallen france has fallen ENGLAND QUEEN OF THE HIGH SEAS has fallen communist in fussia has failed japan ambitions has failed in ww2
chect the track record of all countries that try to dominate now presently the world does not respect united states again a small country like n korea is disrepecting her. russia and china use n korea to test usa an know they can break her they has team up .now ithe time has come for another great one to fall that is UNITED STATES OF AMERICA dont take my word for it .READ THE WORLD HISTORY…….watch an follow carefully .
When US aircraft careers roam around the world’s oceans it is no news.