Forces shadow Chinese carrier

TAIWAN: Taiwan scrambled jets and navy ships yesterday as a group of Chinese warships led by China’s sole aircraft carrier sailed north through the Taiwan Strait, the latest sign of heightened tensions between Beijing and the self-ruled island.

The Soviet-built Liaoning carrier, returning from exercises in the South China Sea, was not trespassing in Taiwan’s territorial waters but entered its air defence identification zone in the southwest, Taiwan’s defence ministry said.

As a result, Taiwan scrambled jets and navy ships to ‘‘surveil and control’’ the passage of the Chinese ships through the narrow body of water separating Taiwan and China, defence ministry spokesman Chen Chung-chi said.

Taiwan’s top policy maker for China affairs yesterday urged Beijing to resume dialogue with Taipei, after official communication channels were halted by Beijing last June.

‘‘I want to emphasise our government has sufficient capability to protect our national security. It’s not necessary to overly panic,’’ said Chang Hsiao-yueh, minister for Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council, in response to reporters’ questions on the Liaoning’s movements. ’’On the other hand, any threats would not benefit cross-strait ties.’’

China has said the Liaoning was on drills to test weapons and equipment in the disputed South China Sea.

The latest Chinese naval exercises have unnerved Beijing’s neighbours, especially Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own, given long-running territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

China distrusts Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen and has stepped up pressure on her after United States President-elect Donald Trump broke years of diplomatic protocol and took a congratulatory call from Tsai last month. Trump then riled China by casting doubt on the ‘‘one China’’ policy that Beijing regards as the basis of USChinese relations. - Reuters