"On April 5th, PLAN Shandong aircraft carrier fleet passed through the Bashi Channel and entered Taiwan's southeastern waters, launching its first West Pacific training," the ministry said on Wednesday, adding that the island's armed forces had monitored and responded to the situation.
Taipei added that the actions of the Chinese navy had jeopardized stability in the region and increased tensions in the Taiwan Strait.
The Japanese Defense Ministry also reported the passage of the Chinese aircraft carrier group to the south of the Japanese prefecture of Okinawa, thus confirming the first time Shandong entered the Pacific ocean. In order to monitor the situation, Tokyo deployed its Sawagiri destroyer to the region.
On Wednesday, the Chinese authorities announced searches on sea routes between China's coastal cities, Lienchiang and Kinmen, which are used by Taiwanese commercial vessels and fishing boats. The Taiwanese Maritime and Port Bureau in response asked ships not to cooperate with the Chinese maritime police if they try to carry out inspections, the Central News Agency of Taiwan reported on Thursday.
The Chinese navy launched military patrols in the region after a meeting between US House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen during the latter's transit visit to the United States. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Tuesday that Beijing firmly opposed the meeting as it contradicted the one-China principle and undermined China's sovereignty.
Taiwan has been governed independently from mainland China since 1949. Beijing views the island as its province, while Taiwan maintains that it is an autonomous country but stops short of declaring independence. Beijing opposes any official contacts of foreign states with Taipei and considers Chinese sovereignty over the island indisputable.