Tension is high in Taiwan, China sends aircraft carriers

While China condemned the meeting between Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen and US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Taiwan closely watched the Chinese aircraft carrier off its coast.

McCarthy, US state protocol third party, and House Republicans and Democrats met with Tsai yesterday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.

China, which views Taiwan as its territory and said it will not hesitate to use force to seize control of the island, threatened retaliation before meeting the Taiwanese leader. China’s Defense Ministry condemned the meeting but did not threaten any special action.

Taiwan Defense Minister Chiu Kuo-Cheng said China’s aircraft carrier Shandong was sighted 200 nautical miles (370 km) off Taiwan’s east coast and was followed 5 to 6 nautical miles by Taiwanese warships. China also announced yesterday that it will inspect ships passing through the Taiwan Strait, located between mainland China and the island of Taiwan. Taiwan, on the other hand, asked ship operators to call in coast guard forces when faced with such a request.

China held a series of exercises across the island country in August last year, following then-US Representative Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan. (Reuters)