China ‘committed to peace’ as carrier passes through Strait

● Beijing raises pressure over Taiwan and South China Sea claims

China has sent an aircraft carrier battle group through the Taiwan Strait amid heightened tensions between Beijing and the self-ruled island.

Beijing said it was committed to promoting peace and stability in Asia in the preface to a Cabinet report on China’s policies on Asia-pacific security co-operation following heated criticism from the US, Japan and others over the country’s increasingly robust assertions of its maritime claims.

The report made no direct reference to such concerns while casting Beijing as a force for economic development and conflict reduction.

“China is committed to promoting peace and stability in this region. It follows the path of peaceful development and the mutually beneficial strategy of opening up,” the report said.

“It has participated in regional co-operation in an all-round way and taken active steps in response to both traditional and non-traditional security challenges, contributing to lasting peace and common prosperity in the Asia-pacific region.”

The report reiterated China’s claims over South China Sea islands and waters, as well as territories in the East China Sea controlled by Japan.

It also expressed strong opposition to the deployment by the US and South Korea of an advanced missile defence system to counter threats from North Korea, saying that would “seriously damage the regional strategic balance and the strategic security interests of China and other countries in the region”.

However, the emphasis was firmly on China’s contributions to security and will- ingness to co-operate on “improving the regional security framework”.

“China has actively pushed for peaceful solutions to hotspot issues such as the nuclear issue on the Korean peninsula and the Afghanistan issue, and played its due role as a responsible major country,” the report said.

China’s rapid military modernisation has raised concerns about its intentions, particularly regarding Taiwan, which it claims as its territory.

Earlier yesterday, Taiwan’s defence ministry said it was keeping an eye on China’s sole aircraft carrier, the Liaoning, and its battle group as it passed through the 100-mile-wide strait separating Taiwan from southeastern China.

A ministry statement said the Liaoning was travelling north-west along the centre line dividing the strait and urged the public not to be alarmed.