Chinese carrier Liaoning transits Taiwan Strait

The Chinese aircraft carrier Liaoning sailed through the Taiwan Strait overnight, a move closely monitored by US military assets. A US Air Force RC-135U Combat Sent reconnaissance plane and a US Navy P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft tracked the transit, supported by a pair of USAF KC-135 Stratotanker aerial refuelers. This operation underscores the high level of US attention to Chinese naval movements in the sensitive waterway. The transit follows the carrier's earlier passage reported by Taiwan's defense ministry.