Speaking at Taiwan’s parliament, Defence Minister Yen Teh-fa said the Liaoning entered the Taiwan Strait on Tuesday
China claims Taiwan as a sacred territory and considers it a wayward province.
Taiwan’s defence ministry is keeping a close watch on its progress, according to a report.
The move comes after Chinese despot president Xi said his country is ready to fight “the bloody battle” to regain its rightful place in the world as he capped off an address at an annual session of the National People’s Congress which paved the way for him to be president for life.
Just days after President Donald Trump signed new rules to allow top-level US officials to travel to Taiwan, Xi said Beijing would defend is “one China principle”, which regards Taiwan as a territory ready for reunification.
Xi said: “All acts and tricks to separate the country are doomed to fail and will be condemned by the people and punished by history.”
Last year the US warned it would not accept China’s militarisation of man-made islands in the South China Sea.
Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam contest China’s territorial claims in the South China Sea.
China has never renounced the use of force to control Taiwan.
Relations have soured considerably since Tsai Ing-wen, who leads Taiwan’s independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party, was elected.
China suspects Tsai wants to declare the island’s formal independence, a red line for Beijing.
Tsai says she wants to maintain peace with China but will defend Taiwan’s security.
Taiwan is well equipped with mostly US weapons and is pressing for more advanced equipment to deal with what it sees as rising threat from China.
Although the US does not have formal ties with Taiwan it is bound by law to help it defend itself and is its main source of arms.
Xi, 64, began consolidating power after becoming head of the Community party in late 2012.
He began his second term as party chief last October and will be formally appointed by parliament to his second term as president later this week.
The government said lifting term limits was a means to protect the authority of the party with Xi at its centre, while the party’s official newspaper, People’s Daily, has said the constitution changes do not mean life-long terms.
Despite his role as Chinese president, Xi’s positions as head of the party and head of the military are seen to be more important. None of the roles now have a formal term limit.