China’s Shandong aircraft carrier sails through Taiwan Strait days after Antony Blinken’s visit to Beijing

The transit follows the trip to China by the US Secretary of State, who failed to persuade his hosts to resume high-level military dialogue

Washington wants a channel of communications to reduce the risk of miscalculations in potential flashpoints such as the Taiwan Strait

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The Shandong aircraft carrier pictured in Hainan province in 2019. Photo: Xinhua

Published: 9:30pm, 21 Jun 2023Updated: 9:31pm, 21 Jun 2023

The Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, just two days after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken concluded a fence-mending visit to China.

While both sides described his talks with senior officials – including President Xi Jinping – as constructive, Blinken failed to persuade his Chinese hosts to agree to resume high-level military dialogue between the two countries.

The US has been pushing for a channel of communication between senior commanders to help reduce the risk of miscalculations and misunderstandings amid rising tensions in the Taiwan Strait.

According to Taiwan’s defence ministry, the Shandong kept to the west side of the median line on Wednesday when it sailed through the Strait from north to south.

Meanwhile, 19 PLA planes, including a Y-8 anti-submarine aircraft and a Y-8 electronic warfare plane, and five warships were spotted southwest of the island on Tuesday.

Beijing views Taiwan as a renegade province to be brought under its control, by force if necessary.