Taiwan says China's threats would not benefit cross-strait ties

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan said on Wednesday this year will be challenging for ties with China, and it will closely monitor events in China resulting from the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump and China's 19th National Congress later in 2017. Taiwan's China policy-making body, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC), made the comments in a statement after Taiwan scrambled jets and navy ships in response to China’s order to sail its Soviet-built Liaoning aircraft carrier through the Taiwan strait.. "Any threats would not benefit cross-strait ties," Minister Chang Hsiao-yueh of the MAC said, referring to any threat from China, at a news briefing. (Reporting by Faith Hung; Editing by Robert Birsel)