XI Jinping’s largest and most advanced warship was spotted cruising past Taiwan – in China’s latest warning of an impending invasion.
The menacing carrier, dubbed the Fujian, steamed through the Taiwan Strait – issuing a chilling reminder to the West that the island nation must come under Chinese control.
China’s aircraft, the Fujian, was seen sailing through the Taiwan Strait on Friday[/caption]
The move was Xi Jinping’s latest warning to the West that the island nation must come under Chinese control[/caption]
It comes as Beijing continues to pump out baseless propaganda claiming the self-governing island is part of China‘s territory.
The behemoth aircraft carrier made the daring trip for the first ever time on Friday, the CCP said.
They added that the colossal vessel was doing “sea trials” ahead of its commissioning and was en route to the South China Sea.
Beijing claimed the carrier was not targeting anyone else, while state TV made similar claims.
The Fujian sailed southwest alongside two guided-missile destroyers.
The US Navy and other Western nations occasionally send warships through the strait in order to deter China’s territorial ambitions.
The red scare was seen as Xi Jinping’s newest effort to send a message to the rest of the world – that Taiwan will one day become part of China.
Although the US does not formally recognise Taiwan’s government, it does provide weaponry for its defence.
The White House also encourages that any differences between the two nations should be settled diplomatically.
Taiwan and China split in the civil war that brought the communists power in 1949.
The defeated Nationalist government fled to Taiwan and set up its own government on the island.
Beijing claimed last week it was on high alert after the Canadian frigate Quebec and the Australian destroyer Brisbane sailed through the strait.
It accused the two ships of provocative actions and claimed the journey heightened security risks.
Japan‘s military said it spotted China’s latest carrier for the first time on Thursday afternoon.
The convoy was reportedly sailing about 200 kilometres from the disputed Senkaku islands, which are named the Diayou islands in China.
Both Japan and China claim the remote and uninhabited stretches of land.
The aircraft carrier has a displacement of about 80,000 tonnes[/caption]
Visitors look at a model of the Fujian Type 003 aircraft carrier[/caption]
It comes after President Xi Jinping wheeled out his flashy new hypersonic nukes, laser cannons and robot dogs among a slew of other impressive weapons at his major military parade in Beijing earlier this month.
With the world watching, Xi smiled as he walked flanked by Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin as the latest weapons were put on show.
The parade – marking the 80th anniversary of the end of World War 2 – was a big chance for Xi to flaunt his military might on the world stage.
An endless row of tanks, drones, armoured trucks, missiles and both sea and air planes were all shown off to both the Chinese people and the country’s rivals.
Why does China want Taiwan
by Sayan Bose
Taiwan insists it is an independent nation after splitting from mainland China amid civil war in 1949.
But China claims Taiwan remains a part of its territory with which it must eventually be reunified – and has not ruled out the use of force to take the island and place it under Beijing’s control.
The island, which is roughly 100 miles from the coast of south-east China, sees itself as distinct from the Chinese mainland, with its own constitution and democratically-elected leaders.
Taiwan sits in the so-called “first island chain”, which includes a list of US-friendly territories that are crucial to Washington‘s foreign policy in the region.
This also puts it in an ideal situation to slow a Chinese attack on the West.
And with tensions between the two nations high, Taiwan is likely to aid China’s enemy if it means keeping its independence.
Taiwan’s economy is another factor in China’s desperation to reclaim the land.
If China takes the island, it could be freer to project power in the western Pacific and rival the US, thanks to much of the world’s electronics being made in Taiwan.
This would allow Beijing to have control over an industry that drives the global economy.
China insists that its intentions are peaceful, but President Xi Jinping has also used threats towards the small island nation.
In this years New Year’s address, President Xi even said that the people on both sides of the Taiwan Strait are one family.
He has previously called the independence of Taiwan a futile effort and that annexation by Beijing is a “historical inevitability”.
But some are still doubting the true nature of Beijing’s weaponry and their ability to even use them on the battlefield.
Rob Peters, senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a Washington-based think tank, told The Telegraph foreign officials will be looking for “technical indicators” to judge whether the weapons look real or like “bulls**t”.
Mr Peters added: “Whenever [China] shows new exquisite technologies it’s good to remember that we should be a little bit cautious that they’ve got the best stuff or they know how to use it.”
The Chinese military hasn’t taken part in combat since 1979, when it suffered heavy casualties during an invasion of north Vietnam.
Any future conflict would be Xi’s first foray into the gruelling world of war.
It comes after Xi met with Kim Jong-un and Vladimir Putin at the Axis of Evil summit[/caption]
Chinese President Xi Jinping pictured at the military parade[/caption]
