The passage of China's first carrier battle group through the Taiwan Straits on Wednesday will not affect cross-Straits relations, said Liu Zhenmin, vice-foreign minister.

The CNS Liaoning carrier and its five escort vessels, returning from drills in the South China Sea, sailed north and entered the Taiwan Straits on Wednesday morning.

Taiwan scrambled jets and navy ships to closely follow the battle group and monitor the situation, said Taiwan's "defense ministry" spokesman Chen Chung-chi.