Taipei: According to the Taiwan Ministry of National Defence, three Chinese ships, including the aircraft carrier Shandong, passed through the Taiwan Strait on Saturday.
Taiwan is a democratic, self-governing part of China's territory, and China has vowed to one day annex it, using force if necessary.
Since Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen was elected in 2016, Beijing has increased air and sea incursions near the island despite her denial that the island is a part of China.
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While Taipei constantly monitors and alerts the public to the presence of Chinese warships, the Shandong's passage through the 180-kilometer-wide Taiwan Strait is unusual.
Around noon today, a flotilla of three ships from the People's Liberation Army Navy, commanded by the aircraft carrier Shangdong, passed through the Taiwan Strait, according to a statement from the ministry.
The unofficial border dividing the island from mainland Asia is in the middle of the strait, and the flotilla travelled "to the west of the median line, heading northward," it added.
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After beginning naval and aerial drills around the island more than a month ago, Beijing made its most recent display of force on Saturday.
Beijing practised targeted attacks on Taiwan and an encirclement of the island, including "sealing" it off, during the war games in April. According to state media, dozens of planes also practised a "aerial blockade."
Although the Shandong was southeast of Taiwan rather than in the Strait, it nonetheless took part in the exercises with J15 fighter jets on board.
The US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy meeting with Tsai in early April sparked the war games, which Beijing had warned would result in stern retaliation.
Taiwan's armed forces declared on Saturday that they "have monitored the situation and tasked (civil air patrol) aircraft, navy vessels, and land-based missile systems to respond to these activities."
Chinese ships and warplane incursions have become more frequent recently on the island.
In the 24 hours leading up to 6:00 a.m. Saturday, 33 warplanes and 10 vessels, according to the defence ministry, were discovered.
11 ships were in the area of Taiwan's waters the day before.
Prior to the phone call between US President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping in March 2022, officials last confirmed the Shandong passed through the Taiwan Strait.
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Earlier than that, the carrier passed through in December 2020, one day after a US warship had done so. In December 2019, a few weeks before Taiwanese voters went to the polls, the Shandong also made a sail-by