The US and Canadian navies sent two warships through the Taiwan Strait to challenge China’s expansive territorial claims.
According to the US Navy’s 7th Fleet, the USS Ralph Johnson and the Royal Canadian Navy Halifax-class frigate HMCS Ottawa sailed through the strait separating China and self-governed Taiwan. Beijing claims Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunited by force if necessary and considers transits by the US Navy and its allies to be provocative actions.
The cruisers “transited through a corridor in the Strait that was beyond the territorial sea of any coastal state,” according to a Navy statement.
The United States routinely navigates the strait as part of its “freedom of navigation” operations.
China has increased its military activities around Taiwan, including the near-daily dispatch of warships and warplanes.
In June, the United States released a video depicting a Chinese navy ship abruptly cutting across the path of an American destroyer, compelling the American ship to slow down to prevent a collision. The US vessel shared the transit with a Canadian vessel.
US, Canada Warships Sailing in Taiwan Strait Angers China
The People’s Liberation Army’s Eastern Theater Command’s spokesperson, Senior Col. Shi Yi, said in a statement that China monitored both ships throughout their entire transit and that its forces “responded in accordance with applicable laws and regulations.”
A military spokesperson for China stated on Saturday that its personnel were “on constant high alert” after two ships from the United States and Canada passed through the Taiwan Strait.
Shi asserted that the two ships — designated in the statement as “Johnson” of the United States and “Ottawa” of Canada — had “openly hyped up” their passage through the waters.
Washington recognizes Beijing over Taipei diplomatically, but maintains de facto relations with democratic Taiwan and supports Taiwan’s right to determine its own future.
The United States and its Western allies have increased the number of “freedom of navigation” crossings of the Taiwan Strait and the contested South China Sea in order to demonstrate that both are international waterways, which has angered Beijing.
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