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China’s military
ChinaMilitary

Pelosi Taiwan visit: region ‘tense’ as Chinese navy watches US warships, holds drills in South China Sea

  • USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier sails near contested Fiery Cross Reef, with Chinese warships seen nearby
  • Military analyst says it’s likely to provide an escort for the US House speaker if she proceeds with trip to Taiwan

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The USS Ronald Reagan approaches the USNS Tippecanoe to refuel at sea. The aircraft carrier strike group has been sailing through the South China Sea and is heading northeast towards the Taiwan Strait. Photo: US Navy
Jack Lau
As tensions mount over US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s potential trip to Taiwan, the Chinese navy has been monitoring the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier’s activities in the South China Sea.

The nuclear-powered warship was cruising about 185km (115 miles) from the contested Fiery Cross Reef in the Spratlys chain on Thursday, according to publicly available satellite images.

Two other vessels – identified by Vietnam-based maritime observer Duan Dang as a Chinese Type 052D destroyer and a Type 054A frigate – were seen 27km and 23km away.

US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has yet to confirm if she will travel to Taiwan. Photo: AP
US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has yet to confirm if she will travel to Taiwan. Photo: AP
The Reagan and its carrier strike group left Singapore on Monday and headed for the South China Sea, as Pelosi’s trip – which she has not confirmed – causes a ruckus, with Beijing warning that the United States will face “forceful measures” if it goes ahead.
Beijing sees it as a move that would “seriously violate China’s sovereignty” – it regards Taiwan as part of its territory and has vowed to bring the self-ruled island under its control. The People’s Liberation Army has called on the US to commit to its pledge not to support independence in Taiwan.

Pelosi, despite being an American lawmaker and not an official of the executive branch which spearheads foreign policy, has been repeatedly described by Beijing as the “No 3 of the US government”.

The US aircraft carrier strike group – which includes the USNS Tippecanoe replenishment oiler and the USS Antietam cruiser – has been travelling northeast and if the vessels continue in that direction they will reach the Taiwan Strait.

It comes as the PLA Navy is conducting routine military drills off its southern coast near Guangdong, following exercises in nearby Hainan province.

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