China's aircraft carrier sails by Taiwan as tensions rise

Taiwan said on 21 March it had scrambled jets and sent ships to track the passage of a Chinese aircraft carrier through the Taiwan Strait, as Beijing's leader gave the island a fierce warning against separatism.

The Liaoning and accompanying vessels entered Taiwan's air defence zone on 20 March, the same day Chinese President Xi Jinping (pictured) delivered a blistering nationalistic speech – warning against what he called any attempts to split China.

In an address ending the annual session of the National People's Congress, Xi said: ‘All acts and tricks to separate the country are doomed to fail and will be condemned by the people and punished by history.’

China, which sees self-ruled Taiwan as its territory, has stepped up air and naval patrols around the island since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen came to power in May 2016.

She refuses publicly to accept the ‘one China’ formula agreed between Beijing and Taiwan's previous government.

Chinese warplanes conducted 25 drills around Taiwan between August 2016 and mid-December 2017, according to Taipei.

The Liaoning, currently China's only aircraft carrier, left around noon on 21 March, Taiwan's defence ministry said.

The Soviet-built ship caused a stir in Taiwan when it first entered the strait in January 2017 in what was seen as a show of strength by Beijing.

It sailed past Taiwan again in July 2017 en route to Hong Kong and returned in January 2018.

China still sees Taiwan as its territory awaiting reunification, by force if necessary, even though the two sides split in 1949 after a civil war and have been ruled separately ever since.

The carrier's latest voyage came days after US President Donald Trump signed new rules allowing top-level US officials to travel to Taiwan.

An irked Beijing has called on Washington to ‘correct its mistake’.

US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Alex Wong is currently visiting the island and will speak at a business dinner alongside Taiwanese President Tsai later on 21 March.

Taiwan’s Defence Minister Yeh De-fa said: ‘We are monitoring the whole process of the Liaoning's cross-region drill.’

The defence ministry said no unusual activities by the carrier group had been spotted ‘and we urge the public to rest assured.’