Why in news?

• China’s newest aircraft carrier sails through Taiwan Strait for the first time.

Taiwan Strait

• Other Name: Formosa Strait
• Location:
  • It is a 180-kilometre-wide strait separating the island of Taiwan and continental Asia.
  • The strait extends from southwest to northeast between the South and East China seas.
  • The narrowest part is 130 km wide.
• Islands and Ports:
  • It contains the Pescadores Islands which are controlled by the government of Taiwan.
  • The chief ports are Amoy in mainland China and Kao-hsiung in Taiwan.
• Features:
  • It serves as a busy navigational waterway, on which millions of tons of cargo are ferried annually.
  • One of the most important fishing grounds in China.
  • Median line is informal dividing line in the Taiwan Strait between the Chinese mainland and Taiwan.