The two Chinese aircraft carriers spotted conducting simultaneous operations in the Pacific for the first time send a political message about the country's "expansionist" aims, Taiwan Defence Minister Wellington Koo said on Wednesday.

By sending warships beyond Japan, the Chinese Navy is demonstrating its ability to project sea and air power far past its home waters.

The United States aircraft carrier USS Nimitz continues to operate in the South China Sea, satellite imagery shows, as the Chinese navy expands its presence in the Pacific Ocean. The Seventh Fleet—the largest of the U.