China has confirmed that its aircraft carrier conducted drills in the South China Sea.The People's Liberation Army Navy said on its official microblog that the carrier's J-15 fighters conducted flight exercises in complex sea conditions. <br/><br/>It said that the carrier group also ran helicopter exercises. The drills come at a time of heightened strain with self-ruled Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its own, following U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's telephone call with the island's president that upset Beijing. <br/><br/>Earlier, Taiwan's Defence Ministry said that the Liaoning and five accompanying ships had entered the top half of the South China Sea after passing south of Taiwan, and later docked at a base on China's Hainan island. <br/><br/>Last month China conducted its first ever live-fire drills using an aircraft carrier close to Korea and announced on December 25 that the Liaoning and its accompanying fleet would carry out what it called routine exercises in the Western Pacific.<br/><br/>China claims most of the South China Sea through which ship-borne trade worth about 5 trillion Dollar in passes every year. Neighbours Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam also have claims.