The Chinese navy said its domestic carrier passed the Taiwan Strait for "testing and training" over the South China Sea.

"A Chinese aircraft carrier passed through the Taiwan Strait on November 17 to conduct routine scientific tests and training on areas in the South China Sea," Chinese naval spokesman Cheng Dewei Today said on the official social network account.

Trinh said that this was the "normal operation" of the first Chinese-built aircraft carrier and was not "aimed at any specific objective and unrelated to the current situation". However, he did not specify the ship's testing area in the South China Sea.

The statement was issued by Chinese naval spokesman after Taiwan's defense agency said on November 17 that it had deployed many warships and Chinese Type-001A domestic aircraft carriers. Escort ships pass through the Taiwan Strait.

China has repeatedly dispatched its Liaoning aircraft carrier group to cross the Taiwan Strait, but this is the first time the Type-001A has appeared in this strategic sea.

The United States and Japan have also deployed a number of battleships stalking the Chinese fleet, the Taiwan defense agency said. The Pentagon, the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force has not commented on this information.

China considers Taiwan a part of its territory waiting for reunification, including by force if necessary and asserting that crossing the strait is a violation of sovereignty, while the US and many countries consider this route to be a maritime area. international. The US Navy has recently increased the frequency of its presence in the Taiwan Strait despite strong protests from Beijing.

The Type-001A is China's second aircraft carrier, but it is the first aircraft carrier designed and manufactured by the country. The Type-001A was launched in 2017 but has not been officially named and staffed until now in the Chinese navy.

Location of the Taiwan Strait. Graphics: Irish Times.

China started producing Type-001A in 2013 based on the design of the Liaoning aircraft carrier but applied a number of improvements to increase the aircraft's carrying capacity. According to media reports, the Type-001A can carry at least 36 J-15 fighters, one and a half times more than Liaoning, and many helicopters to increase its combat capability.

In May 2018, China's Ministry of Defense said the Type-001A had reached its initial operational capability. However, this aircraft carrier was continuously put to the test in early August this year, making many experts suspect there was a serious problem that needs to be fixed and the Type-001A is difficult to put into service in This year as expected of Beijing.