Chinese carrier passes through Taiwan Strait

Subject : International Relations

Section: Places in news

Concept :

China’s Shandong aircraft carrier led a group of warships through the Taiwan Strait on Wednesday, Taipei’s defence ministry said.
Beijing has ramped up sea and air incursions in recent years around self-ruled Taiwan, which it claims as its own territory, but the deployment of the Shandong through the waterway separating the island from mainland China is a rarity.

About Taiwan Strait

The Taiwan Strait is a 180-kilometer (110 mi)-wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia.
The strait is part of the South China Sea and connects to the East China Sea.
Former names of the Taiwan Strait include the Formosa Strait or Strait of Formosa, from a dated name for Taiwan; the Strait of Fokien or Fujian, from the Chinese province forming the strait’s western shore; and the Black Ditch, a calque of the strait’s name in Hokkien and Hakka.

Geographical Features

The entire strait is on Asia’s continental shelf.
The Taiwan Strait is relatively shallow. It has an average depth of about 490ft.

Rivers draining into it

Several rivers including the Jiulong and Min rivers from China’s Fujian Province drain into the Taiwan Strait.

Islands on the Taiwan Strait

Several islands are located in the strait. Kinmen and Matsu are two of the largest and most significant islands in the strait located off the Fujian coast of China.
The biggest islands along the Taiwan side include Penghu (or Pescadores), Xiamen, and Pingtan.
The Xiamen and Pingtan Islands are administered by the People’s Republic of China, while the other three islands: Penghu (or Pescadores), Kinmen, and Matsu are under the administration of the Republic of China (Taiwan).
The Penghu (or Pescadores) Island is the largest and most populous island in the Taiwan Strait.