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- The US Navy, occasionally accompanied by ships from allied countries, transits the strait about once a month
- China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, says the strategic waterway belongs to it
BEIJING/TAIPEI: Two US Navy ships sailed through the sensitive Taiwan Strait this week in the first such mission since President Donald Trump took office last month, drawing an angry reaction from China, which said the mission increased security risks.
The US Navy, occasionally accompanied by ships from allied countries, transits the strait about once a month. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, says the strategic waterway belongs to it.
The US Navy said the vessels were the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson and Pathfinder-class survey ship, USNS Bowditch. The ships carried out a north-to-south transit February 10-12, it said.
鈥淭he transit occurred through a corridor in the Taiwan Strait that is beyond any coastal state鈥檚 territorial seas,鈥� said Navy Commander Matthew Comer, a spokesperson at the US military鈥檚 Indo-Pacific Command. 鈥淲ithin this corridor all nations enjoy high-seas freedom of navigation, overflight, and other internationally lawful uses of the sea related to these freedoms.鈥�
China鈥檚 military said that Chinese forces had been dispatched to keep watch.
鈥淭he US action sends the wrong signals and increases security risks,鈥� the Eastern Theatre Command of the People鈥檚 Liberation Army said in a statement early Wednesday.
China considers Taiwan its most important diplomatic issue and it is regularly a stumbling block in Sino-US relations.
China this week complained to Japan over 鈥渘egative鈥� references to China in a statement issued after a meeting between Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba.
That statement called for 鈥渕aintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait,鈥� and voiced support for 鈥淭aiwan鈥檚 meaningful participation in international organizations.鈥�
Asked in Beijing on Wednesday about the US warships, Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for China鈥檚 Taiwan Affairs Office, said that Taiwan was a 鈥渃ore interest鈥� for the country and that the United States should act with caution.
鈥淲e are resolutely opposed to this and will never allow any outside interference, and have the firm will, full confidence and capability to uphold the country鈥檚 sovereignty and territorial integrity,鈥� she said.
Taiwan鈥檚 defense ministry said its forces had also kept watch but noted the 鈥渟ituation was as normal.鈥�
The last publicly acknowledged US Navy mission in the strait was in late November, when a P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft flew over the waterway.
The last time a US Navy ship was confirmed to have sailed through the strait was in October, a joint mission with a Canadian warship.
China鈥檚 military operates daily in the strait as part of what Taiwan鈥檚 government views as part of Beijing鈥檚 pressure campaign.
On Wednesday, Taiwan鈥檚 defense ministry said that it had detected 30 Chinese military aircraft and seven navy ships operating around the island in the previous 24 hour period.
鈥淚 really don鈥檛 need to explain further who is the so-called troublemaker around the Taiwan Strait. All other countries in the neighborhood have a deep appreciation of this,鈥� ministry spokesperson Sun Li-fang told reporters in Taipei.
Taiwan President Lai Ching-te rejects Beijing鈥檚 sovereignty claims, saying only Taiwan鈥檚 people can decide their future.