Chinese Aircraft Carrier Liaoning Transits Taiwan Strait Following Japanese 'Provocation'
On April 20, 2026, the Chinese People's Liberation Army Navy deployed the aircraft carrier Liaoning to transit the Taiwan Strait. This maneuver was a direct response to the April 17 passage of the Japanese destroyer JS Ikazuchi, which Beijing condemned as a deliberate provocation. Tensions between Tokyo and Beijing have escalated following Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's recent statements regarding military intervention in Taiwan. This transit marks the first such carrier deployment in the waterway in 2026.