As US House Speaker meets with Taiwan's president, China deploys fleet

Robert Besser
09 Apr 2023, 03:04 GMT+10

Providing two pictures as proof, Taiwan reported spotting a Chinese aircraft carrier group in the waters off the island's southeast coast
This was the same day President Tsai Ing-wen was due to meet U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles
China, which claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, has warned of unspecified retaliation if the meeting goes ahead

TAIPEI, Taiwan: Providing two pictures as proof, Taiwan reported spotting a Chinese aircraft carrier group in the waters off the island's southeast coast, the same day President Tsai Ing-wen was due to meet U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy in Los Angeles.

China, which claims democratically-governed Taiwan as its own territory, has warned of unspecified retaliation if the meeting goes ahead.

Taiwan's defense ministry said the Chinese ships, which were led by the carrier the Shandong, passed through the Bashi Channel, which separates Taiwan from the Philippines, and then into waters to Taiwan's southeast.

Taiwan reported that the ships were heading for training in the Western Pacific, and that Taiwanese naval and air forces and land-based radar systems were closely monitoring them.

"The Chinese communists continue to send aircraft and ships to encroach in the seas and airspace around Taiwan," the ministry said.

"In addition to posing a substantial threat to our national security, it also destroys the status quo of regional security and stability. Such actions are by no means the acts of a responsible modern country."

China has yet to comment on the carrier group, whose appearance also coincided with the arrival in Beijing of French President Emmanuel Macron.

Watch latest videos

News RELEASES

Publish news of your business, community or sports group, personnel appointments, major event and more by submitting a news release to Taiwan Sun.

More Information

32 ℃

Mostly Cloudy in Taipei/Songshan

Business

Section

India's Tata chooses UK as site for new EV battery plant

LONDON, England: The BBC has reported that Jaguar Land Rover owner Tata Motors is planning to build a multi-billion pound ...

Facebook nears completion of eliminating 10,000 jobs

MENLO Park, California: As part of the last stage of a three-series round of staff layoffs, part of a plan ...

Baby formula manufacturers investigated by US for rigging bids

WASHINGTON D.C.: On its website, the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has said it is probing Abbott Laboratories and other ...

US Rep says expand China blacklist after ban on Micron chips

Representative Mike Gallagher, chair of the U.S. House of Representatives committee on China, says that after Beijing banned the sale ...

Investors bank on debt ceiling breakthrough, Nasdaq surges more than 2%

NEW YORK, New York - A relief rally hit Wall Street Friday as lawmakers made some progress on the debt ...

Expect supply chain shortages through 2024, says Boeing

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia: Boeing Chief Executive Dave Calhoun said sector-wide supply chain problems that have hampered global jetliner production might not ...

International

Section