Two U.S. warships crossed the Taiwan Strait, the U.S. Navy said in what was the first step of its kind since China conducted unprecedented military maneuvers around the island – “Indian” and “Quiet”.
Tensions in the Taiwan Strait came to a head after US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taipei in early August, sparking an outcry from Beijing, which staged its largest military exercise in the vicinity of the island.
And Taiwan has conducted exercises simulating defense against an invasion by China, which regards Taiwan as an integral part of its territory and vows to rebuild it, even by force if necessary.
Beijing is critical of any diplomatic action that might legitimize Taiwan, and has taken an increasingly hostile stance in response to visits from Western officials and politicians.
The US Seventh Fleet said the missile ships USS Antietam and USS Chancellorsville, both of the Ticonderoga class, made a “routine” passage in “waters where freedom of navigation and overflight is in place in accordance with international standards.”
He pointed out that the two ships made “a passage in the Taiwan Strait outside the territorial waters of any coastal country,” adding that the US military has the right to “operate wherever permitted by international law.”
In turn, the Chinese military confirmed that the United States “raised a big fuss” about the passage of ships through the strait.
“The Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Command monitors and warns American ships on their way and is aware of all their movements,” said Shi Yi, a spokesman for the Chinese Army’s Eastern Command. The forces of the region are on high alert and ready to stop any provocation.”
For its part, the Taiwanese Ministry of Defense said in a brief statement: Two US ships crossed the Taiwan Strait from north to south without naming them.
