Chinese aircraft carrier Shandong spotted 120 nautical miles from Taiwan

The Shandong aircraft carrier of the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLA) is located about 120 nautical miles southeast of Taiwan.

This is stated in the message of the island's defense department, posted on Twitter on Monday.
"The Armed Forces discovered the aircraft carrier Shandong of the PLA Navy in the western Pacific Ocean about 120 nautical miles southeast of Cape Eluanbi. The aircraft carrier is expected to pass through our southeastern waters. We are closely monitoring their actions and will respond accordingly," the statement says.
Earlier this month, the aircraft carrier Shandong took part in exercises of the PLA Navy in the Taiwan area. Currently, the PLA Navy has two aircraft carriers: the first of them, Liaoning, is completed on the basis of the unfinished Soviet heavy aircraft carrier Varyag, purchased by China from Ukraine. The second one, Shandong, was built by China independently on the basis of Liaoning. In addition, in June last year, China launched a third aircraft carrier, which is named Fujian.
Reports of China's increased military activity in the Taiwan Strait began to arrive after the April 5 meeting of the Speaker of the House of Representatives of the U.S. Congress Kevin McCarthy (Republican from California) with the head of the administration of Taiwan Tsai Ing-wen in California during her transit through the United States. The Chinese Foreign Ministry protested in response, pointing out that such a meeting is a violation of the "one China" principle.
After this meeting, the Eastern Combat Command Zone announced that the PLA would conduct exercises in the Taiwan Strait on April 8-10, as well as in the waters to the north, south and east of the island. They were held under the name "United Sharp Sword", while patrolling around Taiwan was carried out in parallel.
The largest Chinese island of Taiwan has been governed by its own administration since 1949, but in Beijing it is considered an integral part of a single country. Washington remains Taipei's main supplier of weapons and military equipment, Tass informs.