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Chinese aircraft carrier heads through Taiwan Strait on way to trials in South China Sea
- Passage through waterway comes as Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen announces her running mate
- But military observer says the timing of the trip not determined by politics
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Sarah Zhengin Beijing
China’s first domestically made aircraft carrier headed to the South China Sea for trials on Monday, after passing through the strategically sensitive Taiwan Strait, according to the mainland’s navy.
The warship, known as the Type 001A, passed through the waterway towards to conduct “scientific trials and routine training” in a “normal arrangement”, navy spokesman Cheng Dewei said on Monday.
“This is not aimed towards any specific target, and has no relation to the current situation,” Cheng said.
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The vessel sailed through the strait on Sunday as campaigning began in earnest for Taiwan’s January election.
Taiwan’s defence ministry said the carrier, accompanied by escort ships, passed south through the strait from the East China Sea, trailed by US and Japanese ships.
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The ministry said the passage was fully monitored to “ensure national security and safeguard regional peace and stability”.
Taiwan is preparing to vote in presidential and legislative elections in which cross-strait relations have become a major issue for the major parties, the independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and mainland-friendly Kuomintang (KMT).
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