China deployed an aircraft carrier during military drills off the coast of Taiwan over the weekend.

Footage shows the enormous Shandong carrier floating near the democratically governed island in an apparent show of China's military might on April 10.

The exercises come as Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen returned to Taipei after meeting with U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Kevin McCarthy.

China's People's Liberation Army said in a statement: 'The troops in the theatre are ready to fight all the time and can fight at any time, resolutely crushing any form of Taiwan independence separatism and foreign interference.'

Though it is officially known as the 'Republic of China,' Taiwan has been governed separately from mainland China, which is known as the 'People's Republic of China.'

Beijing sees Taiwan as a breakaway province and has, in recent years, stepped up pressure - both economic and military - over it to stake its territorial claims on the island.