China's Aircraft Carrier Sails Close To Guam For First Time In Warning To US Over Taiwan

Amid escalating tensions in the Indo-Pacific, China for the first time sailed its Liaoning aircraft carrier group close to the U.S. military base on Guam in a move that is seen as a warning to Washington over Taiwan.

Japan confirmed Thursday that the Chinese fleet, led by the aircraft carrier Liaoning, had transited to the south, near the western edge of the territory the U.S. claims as part of the remote island of Guam, according to the U.S. News & World Report.

This is the first time a Chinese aircraft carrier group has been seen sailing close to the Pacific island of Guam, Chinese state-backed Global Times reported. It claimed it demonstrates the PLA navy's ability to defend against U.S. attacks and military interference in Taiwan.

Tensions between Taiwan and China have been high since House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in August. China responded to it by ordering several days of military drills around the island, which Beijing has vowed to "reunify" by force if necessary.

The Chinese aircraft carrier group also included the Type 055 destroyer Wuxi, Type 052D destroyer Chengdu, Type 054A frigate Zaozhuang and Type 901 replenishment ship Hulunhu. They were conducting exercises in the West Pacific since entering the region on Dec. 16, the Global Times reported, citing a press release from Japan's Ministry of Defense Joint Staff.

Liaoning was part of China's joint military drill with Russia in the East China Sea last week.

When the Liaoning aircraft carrier group was near Guam on Sunday, the Chinese military conducted "record-breaking" joint combat patrols and fire strike exercises around the island of Taiwan, the report said.

Along with its aircraft carrier, China claimed its DF-26 intermediate-range ballistic missile and H-6K bomber with air-launched standoff missiles are capable of striking targets at the U.S. military base located in Guam.

Guam lies some 3,000 kilometers (approx. 1864 miles) southeast of Shanghai in China and is the closest U.S. military base to the Chinese mainland. As a strategic base, the island is a critical component of Washington's power apparatus to project its military might in the region.

There are two major bases on Guam: Andersen Air Force Base in the north and Naval Base Guam in the south. With its long-range bombers, nuclear-powered submarines, warships and the 7,000 military personnel stationed there, Guam is a major forward operating base for the U.S. to confront threats posed by China, Russia and North Korea.

The island also holds some of the Indo-Pacific's most significant ammunition and fuel storage capabilities, along with intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) equipment.