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US Navy say carrier USS Ronald Reagan conducting operations in Philippine Sea
"USS Ronald Reagan and her strike group are underway in the Philippine Sea continuing normal, scheduled operations as part of her routine patrol in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific," a US Navy Seventh Fleet spokesperson said, quoted by Reuters.
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US Navy and Japan Air Self-Defense Force aircraft as they fly in formation over the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76)on June 1, 2017 in the Sea of Japan. The US Navy and Japan Air Self-Defense Force routinely fly together to continue efforts of supporting security and stability in the Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
(AFP/-)
T
he US Navy on Thursday said the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier was conducting scheduled operations in the Philippine Sea in the Western Pacific, a 5.7 million square kilometre (2.2 million square mile) stretch of ocean that includes waters southeast of Taiwan.
"USS Ronald Reagan and her strike group are underway in the Philippine Sea continuing normal, scheduled operations as part of her routine patrol in support of a free and open Indo-Pacific," a US Navy Seventh Fleet spokesperson said, quoted by Reuters.
Home-ported at Yokosuka naval base in Japan, the Reagan is the US Navy's only forward deployed carrier.
Meanwhile, China's largest-ever military exercises encircling Taiwan kicked off Thursday, in a show of force straddling vital international shipping lanes after a visit to the island by US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Pelosi left Taiwan Wednesday after a trip that defied a series of stark threats from Beijing, which views the self-ruled island as its territory.
Second in line to the presidency, Pelosi was the highest-profile elected US official to visit Taiwan in 25 years.
She said her presence made it "unequivocally clear" that the United States would "not abandon" a democratic ally like Taiwan.
It sparked a furious reaction from Beijing, which vowed "punishment" and announced military drills in the seas around Taiwan -- some of the world's busiest waterways.
The exercises, which began around 12 pm (0400 GMT), involve "live-firing", according to state media.
"Six major areas around the island have been selected for this actual combat exercise and during this period, relevant ships and aircraft should not enter the relevant waters and airspaces," state broadcaster CCTV reported.
The exercises will take place in multiple zones around Taiwan -- at some points within just 20 kilometres (12 miles) of the island's shore -- and will conclude at midday on Sunday.
Taiwan's defence ministry said it was closely watching the drills and that the island was prepared for conflict, but would not seek it.
"The Ministry of National Defence stresses that it will uphold the principle of preparing for war without seeking war, and with an attitude of not escalating conflict and causing disputes," it said in a statement, quoted by AFP.
Beijing's nationalist state-run tabloid Global Times said, citing military analysts, that the exercises were "unprecedented" and that missiles would fly over Taiwan for the first time.
"This is the first time the PLA will launch live long-range artillery across" the Taiwan Strait, the newspaper said using the Chinese military's formal name, the People's Liberation Army.
Taiwan has described the exercises as "an irrational move to challenge the international order".
The Group of Seven industrialised nations also condemned the drills, saying in a statement there was "no justification to use a visit as pretext for aggressive military activity in the Taiwan Strait".
