Taiwan Calls China's Carrier Shandong Passing Near The Philippines While Sailing To The Pacific

Taiwanese missile destroyer ROCS Kelelung (DDG-1801) overshadowed China's Shandong aircraft carrier (CV-17) while sailing in the Philippine Sea in September 2023. (Wikimedia Commons/Ministry of National Defense)

Taiwan's Defense Minister on Wednesday said Chinese carrier Shandong (CV-17) crossed near the northern Philippines on its way to training in the Pacific, as Taipei reported dozens of warplanes joining the ship for training.

Carrier maneuvers through waters closer to the Philippines than to Taiwan occurred during the period of escalating tensions between Beijing and Manila over territorial disputes in the South China Sea.

Taiwan's Ministry of Defense said it began around dawn on Wednesday that it had detected 36 Chinese military aircraft, including J-16 fighters and nuclear-capable H-6 bombers, flying south and southeast of the island to the Western Pacific to conduct exercises with Shandong.

Speaking to reporters in parliament shortly before his ministry announced details of the latest mission by Shandong, commissioned by China in 2019, Defense Minister Wellington Koo said they had a "full understanding" of the ship's movement.

"The ship did not pass through the Bashi Canal," he said, referring to the waterway separating Taiwan from the Philippines and being a regular route for Chinese warships and warplanes as they headed for the Pacific.

"The ship was traveling further south, through the Balintang Canal, to the West Pacific," added Koo, a waterway between the Batanes Islands and Babuyan in the Philippines.

Meanwhile, China's Ministry of Defense did not respond to a request for comment. Meanwhile, the Philippine military said it was concerned about the deployment of the Chinese carrier group.

"We emphasize the importance of maintaining peace and stability in the region and urge all parties to comply with international laws and norms," said Philippine military spokesman Francel Margareth Padilla.

The Philippines is currently involved in a fierce conflict with China over the disputed Second Thomas Shoal in the South China Sea.

Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, continues to monitor all Chinese movements considering the daily military activity around the island.

Taiwan had previously reported Shandong was operating near the island, including in December when the ship passed the Taiwan Strait just weeks ahead of Taiwan's general election.

Earlier, Japan's Self-Defense Forces on Tuesday night said they detected Shandong along with an escort of two missile destroyers and a frigate about 500 km (310 miles) south of the Okinawa islands.

Two Japanese naval vessels observed their movement, while Japanese fighter jets rushed to respond to the aircraft launched by the aircraft carrier, he said in a statement.