TAIPEI: Taiwan said Wednesday it had scrambled jets and sent ships to track a Chinese aircraft carrier which passed through the Taiwan Strait as Beijing’s leader gave the island a fierce warning against separatism. Chinese warplanes conducted 25 drills around Taiwan between August 2016 and mid-December last year, according to Taipei. The Liaoning, China’s sole operational aircraft carrier, left around noon Wednesday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said. It sailed past Taiwan again last July en route to Hong Kong and returned in January this year. The carrier’s latest voyage came days after President Donald Trump signed new rules allowing top-level US officials to travel to Taiwan.

Source: New Strait Times March 21, 2018 08:37 UTC