Taiwan's defense ministry says three Chinese naval vessels including the aircraft carrier, Shandong, sailed through Taiwan Strait from south to north on Saturday.

It says the ships navigated along the Chinese side of the intermediate line of the strait. Taiwan's military planes and ships monitored them.

The Shandong is China's first domestically built carrier. It was commissioned in December 2019 and first entered the Pacific Ocean last month, via the Bashi Channel between Taiwan and the Philippines. It was confirmed to have engaged in takeoff and landing drills of fighter aircraft and helicopters.

The carrier then returned through the Bashi Channel into the South China Sea.

Chinese media reported earlier this month that the aircraft carrier had returned to its base.