Chinese carriers in Pacific show country's ‘expansionist' aims: Taiwan
The two Chinese aircraft carriers spotted conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific for the first time send a clear political message about China's 'expansionist' aims, Taiwan's Defense Minister Wellington Koo said Wednesday.
Japan's defence minister had said the previous day that the appearance of the carriers signified Beijing's intention to widen its capabilities beyond its borders.
Koo said Taiwan's armed forces had a 'full grasp' of the carriers' movements.
'Crossing from the first island chain into the second island chain sends a definite political message and their expansionist nature can be seen,' he told reporters in Taipei.
The first island chain refers to the area running from Japan down to Taiwan, the Philippines, and Borneo, while the second island chain extends further into the Pacific to include locations such as the U.S. territory of Guam.
China's navy, which has been enhancing its ability to operate farther from its coast, said Tuesday that the carrier operations were a 'routine training' exercise that did not target specific countries or regions.
Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, closely monitors Chinese military movements due to frequent drills and war games staged around the island.
Since May, China has been flexing its naval and coast guard presence through East Asian waters, according to security documents and officials, causing concern among regional capitals.
Japan's defence ministry confirmed that the two carriers, Liaoning and Shandong, were operating in separate areas in the Pacific on Saturday, both near remote southern islands belonging to Japan.
Earlier, Japan reported that the Liaoning sailed within its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) near Minamitorishima, a remote island east of Iwo Jima.
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