China deploys aircraft carrier group off Taiwan coast ahead of Tsai's meeting with US House speaker

Hours ahead ofTaiwan President Tsai Ing-wen'ssupposed meeting with the US House speaker Kevin McCarthy - China has started making moves. The Taiwanese defence ministry on Wednesday informed that a Chinese aircraft carrier had been deployed in the waters off the island's southeast coast.

The ministry informed that the Chinese ships were led by carrier named theShandong. The fleet passed through theBashi Channel separating Taiwan from the Philippines and then into waters to Taiwan's southeast.

"The Chinese communists continue to send aircraft and ships to encroach in the seas and airspace around Taiwan. In addition to posing a substantial threat to our national security, it also destroys the status quo of regional security and stability. Such actions are by no means the acts of a responsible modern country," the ministry said in the statement.

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Tsai is expected to meet McCarthy later in the day as she transits through Los Angeles on the way home from visits to two Central American diplomatic countries. The last time she met a US House speaker was eight months ago when Nancy Pelosi visited the island nation.

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Immediately after the visit by the Democrat leader, the situation in the region deteriorated as China upped the ante by firing indiscriminate missiles and conducting one of the biggest military drills in the open waters.

Even during the first layover of Tsai's trip when she transited in New York, Beijing had issued statements condemning the move.Speaking to reporters in Beijing, China's Taiwan Affairs Office spokesperson Zhu Fenglian said Beijing will take 'measures' to fight back if the meet goes ahead.

"We firmly oppose this and will definitely take measures to resolutely fight back," said the spokesperson before adding, “The trip is not so much a ‘transit’, but an attempt to seek breakthroughs and propagate ‘Taiwan independence’."

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Notably, the movement of the carrier comes at the same time when French President Emmanuel Macron is in Beijing. Meanwhile, Taiwan had said it will closely monitor the situation and will not yield to "external pressure".

(With inputs from agencies)

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