China Warns US Warship to Exit Taiwan Strait

the army of China watched over and eventually warned an American warship that had sailed through the disputed Strait of Taiwana mission that took place shortly after China will hold exercises near the island. The US Navy’s Seventh Fleet argued that the guided missile cruiser USS Port Royal conducted a “routine” transit of the Taiwan Strait through international waters “in accordance with international law.”

The United States has been conducting these operations about once a month, which has angered China, which sees these missions as a sign of support for Taiwan, the democratically governed island that Beijing considers Chinese territory.

The Eastern Theater Command of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army It said in a statement that its forces had monitored the ship at all times and had “warned” it. “The United States frequently stages these moves and stirs up trouble, sending the wrong signals to the independence forces of Taiwan and deliberately escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait”he added.

“Theater troops remain on high alert at all times, resolutely counter all threats and provocations, and resolutely defend national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”

The US Navy indicated that the ship “transited through a corridor in the Strait that is beyond the territorial sea of ​​any coastal State.”

“Port Royal’s transit through the Taiwan Strait demonstrates America’s commitment to a free and open Indo-Pacific. The United States military flies, sails and operates anywhere international law allows.”

Taiwan’s Defense Ministry said the US ship sailed north through the strait and the situation in the waterway was “normal.”

Late on Tuesday, the ministry said that a single Chinese WZ-10 attack helicopter had briefly crossed the unofficial median line of the strait, that fighter jets from both sides normally avoid passing through, although China’s air force does so on occasion.

It also reported that two Chinese KA-28 anti-submarine helicopters were seen in an area roughly halfway between the southwestern coast of Taiwan and the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands in the upper South China Sea.

China’s armed forces held another round of exercises near Taiwan last week to enhance joint combat operations, the People’s Liberation Army said on Monday, after the Chinese-claimed island reported an increase in activity.

The guided missile destroyer USS Sampson sailed through the Taiwan Strait on April 27, which China condemned, saying such missions “deliberately” harm peace and stability.

The United States, like most countries, has no formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan, but it is its most important international partner and arms supplier, making it a constant source of tension between Beijing and Washington. Ben Blanhard