Taiwan was keeping a close watch on a Chinese aircraft carrier and threats to inspect ships in the Taiwan Strait on Thursday after Beijing condemned a meeting between Taiwan president Tsai Ing-wen and US House speaker Kevin McCarthy.
Mr McCarthy and other Republican and Democratic legislators met Ms Tsai on Wednesday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library in Simi Valley, California.
The meeting took place at a low ebb of US-China relations and despite threats of retaliation from Beijing, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own and has not renounced the use of force to bring it under Chinese control.
The Chinese carrier, the Shandong, was spotted on Wednesday and was 370km off Taiwan’s east cost, Taiwan defence minister Chiu Kuo-cheng told reporters at parliament in Taipei.
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“It is training but the timing is quite sensitive, and what it is up to we are still studying,” he said, adding aircraft had yet to be seen taking off from its deck.
He later told legislators the ship was east of the very southern tip of Taiwan, and Taiwanese warships were monitoring it at a distance of five to six nautical miles.
China has sailed its aircraft carriers near to Taiwan before and at similarly sensitive times.
China's Defence Ministry condemned the McCarthy meeting, but did not threaten specific action.
Taiwan is also concerned about China's announcement late Wednesday that its maritime safety administration is to inspect ships in the Taiwan Strait, including possibly boarding them.
Taiwan has told shipping operators that if they encounter such requests from China they should refuse them and immediately notify Taiwan’s coast guard for assistance.
Mr Chiu said Taiwan will react if Chinese patrol ships cross the Taiwan Strait’s median line, which normally serves as an unofficial barrier between the two sides.
China says the Taiwan Strait is its sovereign territory. – Reuters